


Trouble is Just the Bits In Between

by TardisCrew



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Desperation, F/M, Fearful discoveries, Mystery to be solved, Solace in each other, Starts with fluff and longing, Wanting to leave but forced into danger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-07-15 06:51:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16057796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisCrew/pseuds/TardisCrew
Summary: The Doctor wants Rose to have the vacation she deserves.  Soon they find it’s not what it seems and they have to face frightening discoveries.





	1. Chapter 1

She looked drawn and her skin had a grey pallor that worried him and no wonder really. They’d been going non stop shuttling the sick and injured to the meagre facilities on this war torn planet. They offered little better than surgical butchery. His companion had hardly slept in three days working tirelessly to help those in need but there were so many. Between trying to negotiate peace and lending his own medical skills he had to admit he was at the end of his tether and had gone too long without sleep. Finally, in frustration, he showed the excuse for a government and the rebel forces their future, should they choose not to end the fighting. They quickly agreed to the accord the Doctor had drafted. Wanting to see the back of them he went to find Rose.

Finally Rose and the Doctor trudged home to the TARDIS. Weary to the bone, they didn’t even chat with their customary teasing. They just worked on putting one foot in front of the other. His companion begged off dinner saying she just wanted to shower and go to bed. Nodding his understanding, the Doctor went to the console and took them into the vortex. On his way to his room he looked in on Rose only to find she hadn’t made it to the shower. She had given up and collapsed on top of her bed fully clothed and fast asleep. He was so grateful to have her with him although he couldn’t fathom why she stayed living this crazy old life with him. 

Knowing Rose could sleep through an earthquake he stripped off her jeans manipulating her body with swift efficiency and moving her under her blankets so she’d be more comfortable. He protected her privacy as much as possible. Rose Tyler was beautiful but he would never ogle her while she was vulnerable. He was grateful for every day he had her with him. Heading down the corridor he couldn’t help but reflect on their life travelling among the stars. Sure it was exotic and exciting discovering new stars, new species and new adventures but it could be exhausting, deadly and soul destroying too. 

Quickly showering, he crawled into bed unable to stop thinking of all that Rose had put up with in the last month. The people of this world had been tedious to deal with devoted as they were to hating each other. Speaking of soul destroying, how must it feel to have the abundance of compassion Rose did and have to tend to the bodies that hatred produced. Still his beautiful companion did her very best, giving of herself until she dropped. Tomorrow when she woke up he would make her pancakes and ask her what kind of vacation she wanted. And it would be fun for him too. Finding ways to make her happy and give her special experiences made him happy. To see her eyes shining and hear her laughing made his day. Lately there had been many days he thought she would cry. Determined to make her smile again he sighed and rolled over falling into a blessedly dreamless sleep. 

The next morning Rose stirred to wakefulness slowly, happy to be in her own bed. Although she could have happily rolled over and fallen back asleep, the need to shower and wash away the dust of that thankless planet won out and she stumbled to her ensuite to prepare for the day. She hoped they could loaf around today. She liked those days when she spent time with the Doctor in the vortex. Sometimes they left their jim jams on all day! They’d take turns picking out movies and telly specials to watch and the best part was cuddling up on the sofa together. She knew he liked it too although initially he had kept his stuffy Time Lord distance. Lately, since he’d regenerated, he was the one initiating the snuggling. 

Entering the galley with her hair still wet and no makeup on she saw the Doctor at the hob happily mixing the batter for pancakes. He had mashed up bananas to mix with the batter and today must be a special day because he was clearly indulging her as she spied the small cup of chocolate bits he intended to add. If that wasn’t enough he had placed some maple syrup on the table too. 

“Morning Rose,” he greeted her. “You sure you got enough sleep? You look a little tired still,” he said looking her over with concern. He appreciated her beauty best when she was fresh faced and his eyes lingered over the many color facets in her stunning eyes and the delicate pink of her lips. He wondered, not for the first time, why such a beauty covered it all up.

“Who are you and what have you done with my Doctor?” She shuffled over to him for a hug. “You’re normally dragging me out of bed complainin’ I’m wasting my life away!”

They stood swaying together in a hug as the Doctor chuckled at her cheeky greeting. For Rose any hug with the Doctor was a chance to take in his wonderful scent. It was like fresh mountain air and vanilla. What a perfect combination she thought snuggling closer.

Reluctantly separating, the Doctor turned back to the hob to fetch her tea and Rose turned to the cupboard pulling down their plates and setting the table. She smiled inside thinking about how domestic they were with each other despite his protests that he couldn’t abide such a state of affairs. He was so full it. As far as she was concerned this powerful being, who could control time and do so many wondrous things, craved intimacy. Just like everyone else he wanted someone to care for him and he wanted to care for someone too, a special someone and she wished more than anything that someone could be her.

“So Rose, why didn’t you sleep in?” he asked always deeply interested in her wellbeing.

“I would have but I was so tired last night I didn’t shower so this morning my general mankiness and the grit in my bed forced me into the shower.” She sipped her tea with her eyes closed in bliss. “Can we stay in today Doctor? Maybe sit by the fire and watch movies and have popcorn. Ya know, can we have a jim jam day?”

Standing with his back to her he casually flipped pancakes with his usual precision and sprinkled chocolate bits into them at precisely the right time. “Well, I don’t know Rose.” He quickly looked over his shoulder just in time to see her shoulders slump as she stared into her tea. “I’m afraid we have a job to do. You up for it?”

“Yeah, ‘course,” she said. “What’s up?”

Flipping the last pancake onto a serving dish he slid it onto the table with a flourish noting she had schooled her features so as not to betray her disappointment. He had no doubt she would have pitched in no matter how onerous the task.

Rose grabbed a pancake, avoiding the syrup, and tearing it apart, nibbling it a bit at a time like it was a piece of bread. The Doctor’s pancakes were uniform, not too big and sloppy. They were precise and just the right size for Rose to eat them like a piece of bread because he knew how she liked them. 

“Yummm, good pancakes Doctor, ta!” she enthused.

Nodding the Doctor slathered his stack of pancakes with syrup and forked a mouthful of pancakes into his mouth chewing with evident pleasure. Finally after half his pancakes had disappeared he saw she was waiting patiently for his response and expecting the worst. 

“Today we have to plan Rose,” he said mysteriously.

Rose looked at him puzzled and grabbed another pancake from the greatly diminished pile. “Plan what?” she asked.

“Well,” he said, “I suppose we could plan in our jim jams now that I think of it,” he finished shoving more pancake in his mouth.

“Plan what?” Rose said her voice raised in exasperation.

Placing his knife and fork carefully on the table and looking at her with a serious expression he said, “Plan our next vacation Rose Tyler, wherever in the universe you want to go!”

Her eyes opened wide and she shrieked in delight as her chair squealed away from the table and she ran round to where he was sitting, throwing her arms around him as he giggled in delight.

Later, after an epic popcorn battle where the winner was clearly in dispute, they sprawled on the couch in the library pausing the latest Harry Potter movie whenever another vacation idea surfaced that needed to be discussed. The Doctor had made ten suggestions each of which Rose had dismissed. Now she was snuggled up to him and he loved that but wanted to finalize a selection so the real planning could begin. 

“Rose,” he said, not whining at all, “since when do you not enjoy miles of beach and aqua seas?”

“Since we spent a month on that hot, sandy, rubbish planet,” she murmured, clearly drifting towards sleep as the Doctor stroked her silken hair.

“Okay then, how about fun in the snow, toasty hot toddies and fireplaces?”

“Hmmm, that sounds nice,” she whispered breathing in his scent of mountain air and vanilla. Suddenly inspiration struck her and she sat up. “I’ve got it Doctor! Not snow but fresh mountain air, eating apple pie with cinnamon that’s still warm and topped with rich vanilla ice cream. Pie that we baked in a cabin in the woods where we might hear wolves howling at the full moon and in the early morning we have hot coffee on the deck watching the mist and hearing those funny ducks ...loons they’re called. Oregon in the mountains Doctor!“ she finished breathlessly.

Madly scribbling down her wish list the Doctor looked up in astonishment. “You want to go to Earth?” he asked incredulously. “We have access to the whole universe Rose!”

“Yeah I know but I’ve never been to Oregon Doctor. Have you?”

Carefully cataloguing her bright eyes and excitement the Doctor realized this was exactly the reaction he had been hoping to illicit and, in the face of her enthusiasm, there was no way he was going to turn her down.

“Oregon it is then,” he surrendered smiling widely.

She wrapped her arms around him hugging him tightly. “Thank you Doctor,” she whispered in his ear. The Doctor held the hug for a long time before reluctantly releasing her. He flicked the movie back on and before long she was sound asleep on his lap while he scribbled a list of preparations eager to begin their next and hopefully best ever vacation.

Excited to get started with the research he gently eased out from under Rose covering her with a blanket and hurrying to the console room. After an hour of research he had found just the cabin and decided the best time to rent it was the first week of October. There would be no bothersome bugs to ruin things. The leaves would be turning color and the nights were cool and perfect for fires and toasting marshmallows and snuggling with one Rose Tyler. But the days could be warm and that would be terrific when they were hiking yet there would be the smell of mountain air. A full moon was set for the week in question so if there were any wolves in the surrounding mountains they might be enticed to howl! And no question there would be mist in the morning when they had coffee. Yep he was starting to warm to this vacation idea. 

Whether he sensed anything untoward or not, he couldn’t say but he was determined to keep his TARDIS close. He had a pair of motor bikes in the TARDIS garage so the plan was to land the ship somewhere hidden and nearby several hours before they were due to meet the proprietor to get the keys to the cabin. They would be there with the motorbikes, get the keys and then he would park the TARDIS somewhere inside the cabin hidden from view.

It was as good a time as any to call and make the reservations. It all went pretty much as expected including agreement on the time period he wanted and when they would meet. Then the conversation took an odd turn. 

Daryl, the proprietor, sternly asked, “Yer married right? We don’t take kindly to unmarried relations in these parts or any of that funny stuff like runnin’ round buck naked. And we don’t rent these here cabins to no heathen. What’s that accent you’re sportin’?”

When he needed to be he could be a practised liar. “My wife and I are from England, invited here by your state legislators for consultations. We decided to come early for a much needed break before heading to our meetings.” From experience he knew it was advisable to be clear they were expected by others who could do something about it if they were ill treated.

Exceeding the bounds of appropriate inquiry Daryl asked, “Watcha consulting with them yahoos about?”

Gritting his teeth but not wanting to spoil it for Rose he decided on an extravagant lie and replied, “We are representing the Queen of England who may be visiting your fine state. Potential arrangements need to be discussed.”

“Another waste of money,” Daryl grumbled. “Well okay then I’ll meet ya at the spot and have cash money with ya Doctor. Hey, you a real Doctor?”

“Yes,” the Doctor replied his tone clipped.

“Okay Doc, oh hey, one last question, what colour hair does your wife have?”

“She is blonde but why’s that important?”

But Daryl had hung up. The Doctor thought he was very odd but he didn’t know the half of it.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose had wandered in near the end of the conversation observing the Doctor’s puzzled expression.

“That bit about the Queen,” Rose said, “was that ‘making sure they know someone will come lookin for us’ just incase they’ve a mind to take advantage of us?”

“Yeah,” he replied fishing in his pockets and digging around until he found two wedding rings and pulled them out. Pitching his voice perfectly to imitate Daryl he said, “We don’t take kindly to unmarried relations in these parts or any of that funny stuff like runnin’ round buck naked.” 

He handed Rose her ring and slipped on his. Both of them were used to having to appear married as they had faced a wide range of customs and social structures on many worlds. Mind you the Doctor hadn’t expected it in this time period on Earth.

“Well, there goes our vacation,” Rose declared stepping close to him and looking in his amused brown eyes. They used to be a piercing blue but now she couldn’t imagine him with anything other than these soft brown orbs than turned black when he was angry but never with her. She watched as they morphed into questioning concern.

His eyebrows arched and he asked, “You don’t want to go?”

“Well Doctor,” she replied smiling mischievously, “I had my heart set on runnin’ round buck naked!”

He grabbed her and started tickling her and while she squealed and struggled to get away from his fingers, laughing in high spirits, she heard him mutter under his breath, “Now that’s something I’d like to see!”

“What?” Rose asked.

“Nothing,” he said, releasing her and clapping his hands together pointing out, “time to get ready for our vacation Rose Tyler!”

But Rose heard what he’d said and filed it away to play back later when she was alone and could enjoy the implications.

“I’m going to go pack!” Rose said excitedly giving the Doctor a quick hug. “Oh hey, why did you tell him I’m blonde?”

“He asked,” the Doctor replied, “he’s a very odd fellow.”

As she turned and headed to the corridor the Doctor called out to her, “Cold nights, possible warm days so pack accordingly and be sure to bring a warm coat just incase!”

Rose smiled at his care for her. She was so lucky to be with him and she would stay by him as long as she lived, if he let her. Trotting down the corridor she couldn’t wait to get going. 

Watching her go the Doctor thanked his lucky stars she was with him. He wondered if she knew how important she was to him and what a difference she made to the quality of his life. In such a short time she had placed herself in both his hearts. She was clever and her insights were invaluable. He couldn’t believe how important her smile was to him and how long the hours were between when she slept and when she woke. The Doctor had seen and experienced too many horrors to be prone to daydreams but he found himself staring at the wedding ring on his finger with an embarrassing degree of longing. Few human women would put up with the complications that came with Time Lord sexuality. Was he being foolish to think her naturally accepting nature would be the exception? He knew how dangerous that kind of hope was.

Perfectly executing a landing that placed the TARDIS off the beaten path hidden from view by the native forest, the Doctor wondered why no one ever commented on the perfect landings!Strapping their suitcases to their motor bikes they wrestled them out of the bush onto the dirt road. It was a lovely day as they headed down the sun dappled path at a leisurely pace breathing the mountain pine air. They drove through deciduous trees that curved gracefully over the road creating a colourful tunnel as the sun backlit the leaves that were starting to turn into limes, scarlet and orange. He watched her golden hair blowing in the breeze and kicked himself for not remembering their helmets but he would rectify the oversight as soon as he recovered his ship. Still it was clear to him from her alert carriage on her bike that she was thrilled at the sights and the beauty of their surroundings. He had to admit he felt the same.

As they made their way down the road towards their rented cabin he could hear a vehicle approaching from down the road. Signalling Rose to turn off into a driveway he pointed out, they followed it slowly down a gradual incline to a blue green lake sparkling in the sun. Dismounting they walked out on the large dock and drank in the spectacular view of a jewelled lake nestled among the backdrop of rugged majestic mountains. Looking up at their cabin it seemed much bigger than the on-line photo. It was a picturesque A-line chalet style cabin with a walk out deck that gave a wonderful view of the lake. Rose threw her arms around his neck and he swung her around in his arms.

“It’s perfect Doctor, just perfect! Thank you so much!”

Hugging her to him he smiled and said, “You’re welcome Rose and it is my pleasure!”

At that moment they heard a truck pull into the driveway. He grabbed her hand and said, “You’re about to meet Daryl. You’re bound to find it an interesting experience,” he promised.

Walking up towards the cabin they intercepted Daryl hauling cleaning supplies out of his half ton truck. He wore a scowl which Rose was prepared to bet was a permanent feature. If she had to pick a word to describe him it would be shifty. He was a bit on the chunky side with a wide pulpy face, scraggly, dull hair and greedy eyes. You couldn’t judge a book by its cover but Rose found herself shuttering to think about the swampy tentacles of thought that must crawl through this man’s mind.

“Daryl, hello! Nice to meet you. I’m the Doctor and this is Mrs. Tyler.”

As Daryl put down his cleaning supplies and rubbed his hands on his dirty coveralls he nodded in greeting and shook the Doctor’s hand and Rose’s. His eyes lingered over Rose until the Doctor had enough.

“Look Daryl, I realize we’re early but we drove up here to enjoy this lovely day and got here sooner than expected. But we can just carry on up the road sightseeing and get out of your hair and let you get on.”

“Suit yourself,” Daryl said looking the Doctor up and down and snorting at his suit. “Did you bring the money?”

“Of course,” the Doctor replied pulling an envelope from the breast pocket of his suit and handing it over. 

Daryl grabbed the envelope and thumbed through it apparently satisfied as he stuffed it in his coveralls. “I’ll need about an hour to finish. You’ll find the key in the flower pot on the deck,” he grunted as he bent to pick up his cleaning supplies, unable to resist looking Rose over again with gluttonous eyes, eyes that were voracious and could never be satisfied.

As they walked down to the dock to retrieve their bikes the Doctor was fuming. How dare that cur look at Rose with such disrespect. With one well placed cuff he could have disabled him and taken back the money and found somewhere else. Internally he was at war with himself. Teach this pig of a man a lesson and leave or avoid disappointing Rose. 

Finally he observed what they had both been thinking, “It’s a wonder he rents this place at all with such a welcoming personality.”

Not wanting to put a damper on the mood, especially after the Doctor had gone out of his way to give her the vacation she wanted, Rose responded neutrally, “He won’t win any awards for personality but if he stays away we’ll be fine. Now that he has your money we’ll probably not see him again.” 

But Rose had felt creeped out by Daryl’s behaviour and she sensed the Doctor had been ready to teach him a lesson. She hoped her comment would make it easier for him to back down.

Walking their bikes up the hill past Daryl’s truck, the Doctor looked inside the cab and spied an open duffle bag full of security cameras and recording equipment. On the floor was a large suitcase and through the open window he got a slight whiff of an unpleasant smell. Wrinkling his nose he tried to place it. It was faint but he had a lot of experience with that smell. Something was decomposing inside that suitcase. Deer or moose maybe but who puts wild game parts in a suitcase? Apparently Daryl did. He was glad he’d memorized the plate number at the back of the truck. He was going to do a full search on the TARDIS. There was something not right. They started their bikes and headed up the road back to the TARDIS. He’d use the ship’s sensors to know when Daryl left the property.

Back at the cabin, Daryl couldn’t help laughing at the dandy that called himself ‘the Doctor’. What a treat he was! His wife though, oh she was sweet. Something to be enjoyed and worked over. How did a wimp like him get a woman like her. Probably cuz he was some fancy representative of some Queen. Well he had Mr. Pinstripes’ money so why bother cleanin’ for him anyway. Business that’s why. If the cabin was made spic and span this Doctor fella might mention the cabin to those fancy full-a-shit state people. On the other hand, maybe not after he had salivated at his wife. Still he had to maintain standards for this cabin to continue paying off.

He whistled while he worked. His own place was a pig sty but he knew if he wanted to make top dollar outta rich folks renting the cabin he got from his uncle, he had to keep it clean and put out little soaps and shampoos in the bathrooms. He had purchased a magazine at the local drugstore in town that explained what customers expected in swanky vacation rentals. He followed the magazine recommendations to the letter which was just about the only thing he was fastidious about, well that and his hobby. He had worked up a sweat changing the sheets and cleaning everything till it was just like the magazine said it should be. Then he grabbed his duffle bag from his truck, pulling out his little cameras and carefully concealing them around the cabin and in the bathroom. No point in the bedrooms because it was too dark when the lights were out. He hoped this blonde wasn’t a whore like his mother.

Finally he was done and he locked the cabin, leaving the keys in the flower pot. He jumped in his truck and left. A mile down the road he pulled over and threw the big ole suitcase as far as he could into the dark woods.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor was watching Daryl’s infrared signature on the TARDIS’s monitor and knew he had stopped down the road and gotten out of his truck. Ten quid he’d gotten rid of that suitcase and while he might have been ditching the waste dead game, didn’t hunters just bury the stuff? Why put entrails and offal in a suitcase? He noted the coordinates and knew it would be easy to find. The smell of decomposition would draw animals and birds to the isolated spot. He couldn’t help a rising sense of disquiet. So far he had nothing but uncouth behaviour to go on but he felt he needed to alert Rose. If this Daryl came around while they were at the cabin he would gather Rose up and together they would leave. In the meantime he wanted her alert to his concerns. To be on the safe side he wanted them ready to defend themselves if it came to it.

For now he would concentrate on making a precision landing into the closet of the master bedroom. While Rose was in the galley packing a lunch for them, he was going to check Daryl’s plate number. He would make sure they had a pleasant afternoon and evening and then he would share his concerns with Rose and they would talk safety protocols. Once again not a soul took note of his precision landing.

Down at the dock they each had an Adirondack chair which they angled to face the sun so they could enjoy the breath taking scenery. Rose spread their lunch on a wooden table slightly forward of their chairs. They drank champagne and nibbled on veg as well as peaches, blueberries, cheeses and crackers. Rose closed her eyes in the sun and breathed in the fresh air, reaching beside her to take his hand. She knew something was wrong. He had withdrawn and his mind was elsewhere. Normally he would be inundating her with information about the surrounding flora and fauna or regaling her with ideas of things to do in the coming days. The Doctor was high energy and this wasn’t him. Something was wrong.

“Well,” she asked, “ya gonna tell me what’s wrong?”

He looked over at her squeezing her hand. He hadn’t wanted to do anything other than give her what she wanted and enjoy being with her without interruption at least for this afternoon and evening and now his brooding had ruined even that bit of peace and tranquility for her. 

“I’m sorry Rose. I really was distant there for a bit wasn’t I? It’s so beautiful here I just want to enjoy it with you,” he said mustering an encouraging tone.

But Rose wasn’t fooled. She had been wearing sunglasses given the sun sparkling on the water and the bright cornflower blue sky but she slipped them up on her head and turned to look at him.

“Doctor, you weren’t distant or daydreaming. That I could understand. It’s very hypnotic out here with the sun sparkling on the waves. Nope, you are worried about something and I want you to tell me what it is,” she asked with what she thought was a reasonable request.

Sighing the Doctor confessed, “I do have some concerns but I just thought I’d raise them with you this evening so you could enjoy the surroundings for awhile.”

“Doctor, whatever it is, if you can’t enjoy yourself then I can’t either. This isn’t just my vacation, it’s yours too,” she explained rotating in her chair to more fully face him and make sure she was making her point. “If you’re worried about something then it’s not nothing and it’s not your fault. You need to tell me and we’ll figure out what to do, including leaving if we have to. It’s not like we can’t go somewhere else. I know you don’t want to disappoint but whatever has you bothered we’ll deal with it yeah? It’ll be okay. So spill Mister!”

Bloody hell she was amazing. No whining, no complaining just constantly adapting and making it easy for him he thought.

“Well, it’s Daryl,” the Doctor started but Rose interrupted.

“Why am I not surprised?” she said with evident disgust. “That bloke creeps me out Doctor!”

“Yeah but here’s the thing. He had a suitcase that had something decomposing inside.”

Rose looked at him with shock and he raised his hands signalling he had more to say.

“I don’t know what was inside, could be road kill for all I know, but why would you put petrifying meat in a suitcase? It doesn’t make sense.”

Rose leapt from her chair and turned it around so their two chairs were facing.

“My gawd Doctor what if he’s an axe murderer?”

Holding up his hands again, this time in a calming motion he said, “Now Rose, we don’t have enough to go on to conclude that but I checked out his license plate,” he said conspiratorially.

“Yeah? Watcha find out?” Rose asked dragging her chair even closer till their knees were touching.

“The truck is not registered in his name. That is, it’s not registered in the name of Daryl. ‘Course he could be using another name rather than his given name. However, the last name of the registered owner is Burton and his first name is John. John Burton does have a family resemblance to Daryl so I took a chance scanning for death certificates in local data banks.”

“Oh my gawd!” Rose exclaimed, “ya got my attention now.”

“Looks like John Burton was Daryl’s uncle. The death certificate says cause of death was suicide. The uncle’s body was released to a funeral parlour nearby about a year ago and the release form identified Daryl Burton as nephew,” the Doctor explained. 

“So did Daryl steal the uncle’s truck?” Rose asked.

“Not necessarily,” the Doctor responded, “more likely he just hasn’t gotten around to transferring the ownership. John Burton was married when he died. I suppose there might have been some sort of disagreement with the widow over the vehicle or maybe he just borrowed it from the widow when he needed it. I found no vehicles registered in Daryl’s name, ever.”

“But that’s weird yeah. I mean you’d have to have a vehicle to live up here in the middle of the woods. What if you have to go for supplies, need a dentist, whatever, you’d need wheels.”

Nodding his agreement he continued, “The thing is Rose I couldn’t find any records on Daryl. There’s no birth certificate for him. He’s not registered on any voter rolls, doesn’t pay taxes, nada, nothing. His birth might have been registered in a local church’s birth and death rolls but I don’t have access to that information.”

“That is odd,” said Rose, “and a hell of a coincidence. If this John Burton is his Uncle, any clues who his Father is?”

“No, couldn’t find any reference to a father but it’s possible this John Burton is the Father. There is a definite a family resemblance and it’s possible there was a mistake on the release form.”

“All this makes me feel uneasy but it’s not really the reason you’re worried is it?” Rose asked looking him in the eye.

Sighing, the Doctor replied, “Blimey and I think I’m the telepath! The thing is Rose, Daryl’s Uncle slash Father owned not only the truck but this cabin as well and his bank account is paying taxes and insurance on them for at least the next couple of years in automatic withdrawals. He commits suicide and a month ago his widow is found ripped to shreds inside farm equipment. A passing motorist who stopped for directions, got the shock of his life when he found her and he contacted police.”

Rose gasped, “That’s a hell of a coincidence Doctor,” she acknowledged looking at his eyes. “I assume Daryl is living in their house too!”

“Yeah, he is. So, in summary, we have a lot of circumstantial evidence that the guy who rented us this cabin is a murderer but no real proof. That said I would feel better if we took precautions while we’re here and I think we should consider leaving.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Rose replied. “We can stick together tonight and maybe leave mid morning tomorrow after coffee on the deck. If he murdered those people for gain, at least he already has your money and he thinks you’d be missed by people who would look into why you didn’t show up. The only other thing we have of any value that he’s seen are two motor bikes but they don’t look like they’re worth killing over. Hopefully we’re safe til we leave tomorrow.”

Standing up and gathering the remains from their lunch Rose felt a sudden chill and wondered how their beautiful surroundings could suddenly look so sinister. Trying to put a brave face on things she smiled at the Doctor and asked, “So you wanna help me make apple pie?”

“Sure,” he answered jumping up and sharing in the packing up as they walked up the path to the cabin.

It was mid afternoon and there was already an autumn chill in the cabin so the Doctor busied himself with starting a fire. He grabbed logs and kindling out of the utility room at the back of the cabin and soon had a cheery roar going in the hearth. 

“Oh that’s brilliant Doctor. Just what we need to improve the mood. You just wait til we have the smell of cinnamon apple pie in here.” She smiled at him as he came over to help with apple peeling.

They were in the great room of the cottage. It was large and open with the fireplace and living area at one end, the dining room table was over near the panoramic window looking out over the lake and on the other wall by the fireplace was a bookcase that housed a telly and music system. At the opposite end of the great room was an expansive kitchen with a large granite island they were using for their prep work. On the back wall of the great room there was a set of stairs that led up to an open hallway overlooking the main floor. Off that hallway there was a large master and two smaller bedrooms with a large bathroom off the hallway between the master and second bathroom. The cabin was nicely appointed with it’s rustic touches lending it an authentic feel.

The fire was helping cozy the place up but to help reduce the pall cast from the Doctor’s unnerving revelations, Rose wiped her hands and walked over to the stereo tuning into a bluesy jazz channel. Satisfied she returned and continued peeling apples with the Doctor. 

It was a companionable silence and they were both swaying to the beat as they finished assembling the pie and with a final flourish of finishing sugar, Rose swept it in the oven. As she wiped the granite counter top the nagging feeling she had missed something suddenly clarified and she dropped her dish towel grabbing the Doctor’s hands and placing them at her waist. Then she put her arms around his neck saying, “Let’s dance Doctor.”

The Doctor was happy to be asked and he loved to be close to her and have her in his arms but he also sensed something was up. As he drew her close and swayed to the music with her she put her lips to his ear and his fears were confirmed.

“Doctor,” she whispered, “when I was at the stereo I was so busy figurin’ out the controls I’m only realizin’ now I saw something that looked like an electronic eye. My gawd Doctor, do you think he could be spying on us?”


	4. Chapter 4

Nodding at her, he gradually danced them towards the stairs and took her hand leading her up to the second level. Looking over the bannister at the great room he was satisfied the circumferential range of the surveillance camera below would not detect them so he scanned with his sonic for more surveillance devices.

“There are three devices downstairs but none have audio capabilities, just visual. Did the one you saw look kind of like an eyeball?” he asked.

Rose nodded, truly spooked as she watched the Doctor scan each bedroom from a safe spot. None of the bedrooms had cameras.

“Makes sense,” the Doctor said. “When you turn out the lights it’s pitch black up here, not like a camera could discern anything.”

Rose was just starting to feel better when the Doctor turned to scan the bathroom. She wouldn’t have thought of doing that but the Doctor was wiser when it came to the depths of depravity living beings pursued. Sure enough there was a tiny camera mounted inside the wall with the eye barely visible through a tiny hole. It was aimed at the shower and toilet. Rose just looked at him with wide eyes, her hands over her mouth in horror.

“Who would do such a thing?” she whispered in shock. “Doctor, can we leave now?” 

His eyes were soft and full of understanding when he shook his head no. “Here’s the thing Rose, if this bloke’s spying on people and capturing their most private moments I suppose we could leave and consider it a buyer beware situation but I don’t think either of us would feel good about that the minute we’re parked in the vortex,” he reasoned.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Rose said, feeling ashamed at her first reaction. “But Doctor, what if it’s not just him spying to make sure people aren’t wrecking the place. Blimey Doctor, that camera in the bathroom is not about lookin’ out for his property. It’s just sick.”

“Yes, you’re right Rose,” he sympathized taking her hands in his. “But that just makes it all the more important we find a way to stop him. In my experience this kind of behaviour is not usually confined to voyeurism. It usually accompanies much deeper and more dangerous levels of depravity.”

Rose burrowed into him really shaken. “We never seem to get a break Doctor.” Her hands were over each of his hearts and he bent his head down creating a cocoon around her with his arms. “I was so looking forward to spending time with you, ya know peaceful time. What are we gonna do Doctor?”

“Let’s get a cup of tea, check on the pie and sit by the fire. A strategically placed mug in front of the bookshelf camera should give us privacy. We make a plan.”

Rose nodded and they descended to the living room. Before long they were in front of the fire and things had turned decidedly serious.

“The trick is to bring him here when we’re ready. Therefore, I think we leave the cameras on except in the bathroom. That camera is accessed from the other side of the bathroom wall. There’s a picture on the wall disguising the access hole to it. I’ll make the camera slip so it points at the bathroom ceiling.” 

“Won’t that bring him here since that’s the footage he’s really after?” Rose asked wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“Quite right but he probably won’t take a chance the first night, in the dark, when he could wake us given the bathroom’s proximity to the master bedroom. More likely he’ll wait till he knows we’ve left the cabin and he can slip in undisturbed. But just to be on the safe side we’re going to sleep in the TARDIS tonight.” The Doctor watched some of the tension drain from her shoulders.

“But Doctor how are we going to prevent future renters from getting filmed.”

“Tonight when it’s dark, I will be setting up my own cameras and they are motion and sound activated. When he comes in we catch him in the act, post the video with an explanation on the internet and send it to the local and state authorities and then we’re out of here without having to interact with the barmy bastard. What do you think Rose?” 

Rose kissed each of his cheeks and his lips, lingering just long enough to make it a kiss. Before she could pull away he deliberately kissed her back before breaking away.

“That was nice,” Rose smiled shyly. “It wasn’t a pity kiss was it? Ya know cuz you think it’s your fault about the vacation even though it’s not.”

“No Rose it wasn’t a pity kiss,” he smiled affectionately. “I always want to kiss you, just never thought I’d get the chance.” 

He knew he was risking devastating disappointment going down this path but after all these years alone he couldn’t explain why today was the day he found himself powerless to resist the effect she had on him. If she ever became his mate he would suffer her loss for decades when she aged before his eyes and died. But for the first time in hundreds of years he found himself unable to resist, hoping she wanted him.

“Well how come you never kissed me before?” Rose asked watching his eyes carefully.

 

Running his thumb over her bottom lip he explained, “As much as I’ve wanted to, it wouldn’t be fair. I’m in a position of authority over you. You have to rely on me for your wellbeing, food, shelter and so on. I like to think I don’t take advantage of you but if I initiated something intimate how would I know you didn’t feel coerced? But you kissed me first so I just wanted to let you know I am amenable to more kisses!” Oh my he thought, he was well and truly stuck in now. What if she backed away?

Rose stared at him gobsmacked. “Do you mean to tell me that all this time if I had just kissed you on the lips first you would have been ‘amenable’?” she asked with air quotes around amenable. “And may I point out I have kissed you first before now!”

He nodded agreement but pointed out, “Ahhh but that wasn’t you Rose, that was Cassandra.” 

Standing suddenly with purpose, she moved in front of him, straddling him as he sat on the sofa. One of her many fantasies about the Doctor was to run her fingers through his lustrous hair. Gawd it was glorious and silky! She smiled as he purred, his eyes closing.

“Ahhh, just can’t resist the hair Rose Tyler?” he asked cockily.

Then she bent forward and brushed his lips with her plump pink lips while the tip of her tongue enticed him to open as he wrapped his arms around her. What started as a simmering desire escalated into panting need as he encouraged her hips to move against him and he tongued her eagerly. Slowly she disengaged as he whimpered moving his head forward following her lips and tongue. Rose left him to sit with his composure shattered as she breezily went to remove the pie from the oven leaving it to cool on the island. By the time she returned and refilled their tea mugs he had recovered somewhat although his eyes drifted to her lips and breasts more than once. To Rose things were looking up and they were staying in the TARDIS tonight, hopefully safe in the Doctor’s bed. Gawd she couldn’t believe this turn of events but more than that she couldn’t wait to be with him.

Clearing his throat the Doctor squeaked out, “Rose I want you to carry a taser and do you still have that pocket knife I gave you.” 

She nodded, pulling it from her pocket and smiling.

“Oh you are the bomb, Rose Tyler!” he gleefully exclaimed, beyond chuffed she had heeded his directions.

“That’s bombshell to you Mister!” she said cheekily, getting up to fetch them pie with vanilla ice cream wiggling her bum the whole way. The Doctor laughed but he didn’t take his eyes off her and she knew it. 

His hearts were thundering still as he tried to get his body under control. When they had kissed her passion for him had leaked out in her surface thoughts and the mere brush of her mind made him burn for her, rage for her. She did not know that sharing thoughts in an intimate setting ignited a Time Lord’s desire to couple, to mate. She wanted him and her desire for him aroused him in a way he hadn’t felt for a very long time. His mind, his body and his hearts were convinced she was a desirable bond mate and that was propelling him to pursue her. There were no Time Ladies left for him. He never expected these ancient drives to waken but Rose had become his world and every second thought was oriented to making her his. Intellectually he knew she might not understand the dynamics affecting him. It felt like he was panting for her all the time. Their present bizarre circumstances didn’t mitigate his hyper alertness to her in any way. But now he knew Rose Tyler wanted him! He had to talk to her about what to expect if she was with him. He couldn’t allow it to happen by accident just because she wanted him. He might frighten her away. He had to get a grip. 

In trying to get himself under control he turned his thoughts to the pie he was trying to eat which led his mind right back to Rose. The light of his life knew how to make pie. If he was honest he had to admit she was rubbish when it came to meal preparation. She couldn’t care less about proper techniques for broiling, roasting, sautéing, frying and all the rest. If she tried to cook a meal for him he would happily attempt to eat it in good faith but inevitably, after tasting it herself, she would snatch his plate away tossing it in the bin and declaring it rubbish. Whenever that happened they went out for chips. 

But she had a couple of saving graces in the kitchen. She could make all different kinds of pies, birthday cakes and BANANA BREAD! He had learned a few inventive tips from her like putting chocolate chips in pancakes. Sometimes when she made macadamia nut pie she put rum soaked raisins in it and the inside was all gooey, nutty and raisiny rum. Yummm, he thought. As far as he was concerned it was a perfect arrangement. He cooked the meal and she made dessert. Currently relishing her delicious apple pie with rich, vanilla ice cream he thought Rose Tyler was indeed the bomb.

“Rose, you’ve put lemon in this pie.”

She nodded swallowing her bite. “Yeah I did, just a tad mind. It boosts the flavour of the apples that can taste bland with the cinnamon,” she explained.

“Hmmm, brilliant Rose, just brilliant,” he said smacking his lips heading to the kitchen for another piece. 

He glanced over at her so beautiful in the firelight with the flickering flames shadowing and vividly highlighting her blond hair and the planes of her face. Then a thunderbolt struck as his Time Lord brain finished processing a low level worry that had been cogitating in his brain over the last day. Grabbing the edge of the granite island he swayed unsteadily but Rose heard as his fork and plate crashed to the countertop and she came running to him.

“What is it Doctor? What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

He looked at her, his face pale. “Rose, he asked if you were blonde!”

“Yeah, So?”

“Come on Rose, hurry, I have to check the TARDIS mainframe!”


	5. Chapter 5

As the Doctor pulled her up the stairs taking them two at a time, Rose struggled to keep up, clutching the banister as she double timed it up the stairs.

“Doctor what the hell has you so spooked?” she panted out as he unlocked the TARDIS. 

Racing up the ramp to the console he responded with, “Rose I researched the truck and the owner and, by extension, Daryl but not other murders in the area!”

The ramifications of what he was implying sunk in and Rose sat on the console bench waiting and worrying, watching him.

After several moments the Doctor groaned saying, “Rose there have been four bodies found in these parts over the last several years, in this area Rose! Four female bodies and ten quid they’re all blonde. No scratch that, I am not betting on the terrible misfortune of these women. I hope l’m wrong Rose but don’t you think it’s odd? Four murdered women found in the woods anywhere near where he lives is suspicious.”

“But Doctor, we don’t even know if he killed his parents. We’re assuming it!”

He was no longer listening. Fingers flying over the keyboard, screens whipping by so quickly she couldn’t even make out what they were, the Doctor wasn’t even aware she had moved from the console bench to stand beside him. Finally he sighed hanging his head, his arms supporting his upper body as he bent over the console. Pictures from local police reports of four murdered women appeared on the monitor. He knew, he just knew, yet he was still shocked to see they were all blonde and he staggered back at the implications. 

It was one thing to deal with someone who murdered for gain, which was dangerous enough, but it was another thing entirely to deal with a psychopath, someone cold and calculating, someone driven to murder, often gruesome murder, for depraved self gratification. He had to protect Rose. He would take her home while he dealt with this.

“Look Rose. None of these women are local to these parts. He’s renting this cabin looking for blondes!” His hands were balled into white knuckled fists.

Rose could feel his rising tension and it was caused by his fear she would be hurt. She knew what that meant. He would want to protect her by taking her home and dealing with the cards they’d been dealt by himself. Even worse, he would withdraw from her shoring up his resolve not to listen to her pleading. She needed to deal with this now!

“Doctor,” she said stepping in front of him, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him until he focused on her face, “you are not taking me home. You need me. If he is the killer of these women, the minute I am removed is when you lose the chance to link him to these murders!”

He stared at her aghast. “Are you suggesting what I think you are? Do you think I would, for one moment, entertain the idea of using you as a pawn, as bloody bait! What must you think of me?” he asked coldly and clearly hurt. 

Trying to calm him down she ran her hands up and down his arms but he was upset and shook free of her attempt to sooth him, turning his back to her. But Rose knew how to gentle him. She simply stepped forward and ran her hands up his back hugging him from behind.

“Hear me out please Doctor. I know you want to protect me but if this guy is a psycho with some kind of thing for blondes and we’re trying to protect other women from being slaughtered, then you need a blonde. He’ll simply vanish without one and you’ll never get the proof we need to get authorities to put him behind bars.” She still hugged him waiting for his response. Gradually she felt his resolve melting until he turned to face her.

Cupping her cheek he sighed, “Be that as it may Rose, you and I, we have a chance...I mean I think we want to be together, you know, like other people. That would mean a lot to me. I think it would to you too. Am I right Rose?” he asked studying her closely 

Stepping into his arms she placed her hands on his hearts and looked up at him. “Doctor I’ve fancied you practically since I met you but I never thought you wanted a relationship like a couple but I still would have stayed with you even if it was just as friends because you’re my best friend and I love you. If we were a couple, it would be perfect.”

He kissed her on the nose and whispered, “Rose, finally I have a chance to have that with you but I might lose you. If something happened to you, something gruesome and horrible, I don’t think I could live with it. That’s why I want you safe so I can come for you after I take care of this.”

“You still need a blonde Doctor and how would it be any different for me sitting at Mom’s place worried half crazy if he shot you or worse. But we do have some options. For instance we could set up a decoy.”

“A decoy?”

“Yeah like one of those silicon, full size dolls that men use to...you know!” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Confused, the Doctor asked what she meant.

With an exasperated sigh Rose groaned out, “Men use them to have sex. They make them with big silicon boobs and fleshy lips with motors that suck and...”

“Stop!” the Doctor said covering her mouth with his hand, “you are kidding me?”

With her eyes sparkling mischievously she shook her head ‘no’ behind his hand.

“Oh for the love of...,” he trailed off. “Where are we going to find one of those?” Suddenly he looked up clearly caught with an idea.

Rose watched the wheels turning until finally he said, “Storage room 579, Come on!” He grabbed her hand and it was Rose’s turn to be shocked.

“No way! You did not have it on with a sex doll. Did you? Oh my gawd you did!”

“Again Rose Tyler, I am forced to ask what you must think of me?” he said dragging her along behind him. “First of all I do not have a sex doll on my TARDIS but I do have a fully functional cyborg. Now come on!”

“Same thing,” muttered Rose behind him.

“I heard that Rose Tyler! Now think about it. If I was doing what you think would the object be in storage room 579, forgotten were it not for my prodigious powers of recall?”

“All I can say Time Lord is it better be dusty and buried in the corner,” Rose huffed.

It took awhile to get there and Rose, who had explored lots of rooms on the TARDIS, had never been in this room. She looked around in wonder at all the strange objects in the room. She spied a beautiful glowing orb sitting in a large holder and went to pick it up.

“No, no, no Rose. Best leave that alone. Very dangerous!” 

To Rose the cavernous room looked like something you’d find in Hogwarts. Finally from the other side of the vast space she heard the Doctor whoop with discovery and she hurried to cover the distance. 

“What do you think of this Rose Tyler?” the Doctor asked.

Rose was amazed. It was obviously not activated but certainly life-like but not blonde and Rose said so. 

“Don’t worry about that Rose. This here is a marvel of 25th century programming. Completely life-like and it can adjust it’s appearance and voice to look and sound just like you, including the colour of the hair. It’s a little taller than you and we can’t do anything about that but it should still pass for you.”

“Wow, that’s amazin’ Doctor. So what’s it doin’ in here forgotten?”

“Oh it was deactivated on Talmane 7 because of a glitch. They asked me to help take it off-line further to the incident at the amusement park. It was nothing really, just a glitch. Well it was more than a glitch, more like faulty programming, programming that made it a tad aggressive, yelling at people and such. Well, I say yelling but more like screaming really but not all the time. There might have been threats. Yes a few threats but the point is things are fixable although the murderous rampage was a little too much to sweep under the rug I suppose.”

Rose listened to him with astonishment, her arms crossed and her foot tapping the floor.

“Do you mean to tell me if you turn it on it’s likely to off us?”

“No Rose, course not, I mean the chances are very slim to none, well maybe, okay probably. But that’s not the point.”

Rose was still tapping.

“The point is, I don’t need to activate it to fix it. I just need to fix it’s programming.”

Hours later Rose went back to check on him. Who knew he had a robotics laboratory? She carried the tea tray carefully as she entered the laboratory. The Doctor had the sonic in his mouth and he was bent over a very large nest of fibre optic wires that cascaded out of the cyborg’s midriff and off the work bench in a tangled mess that seemed impossible to put right again. His hair stood up in spikes and his tie had been loosened to the point of sloppiness and overall he seemed dishevelled in the extreme and quite discouraged. She knew he was driven by his worry for her so it was time to mount a rescue.

“Hiya Doctor. I brought you some tea. You look like you deserve a break. Having any luck?” she asked with a sympathetic smile.

His rather large sigh told the story of less than sterling progress. “The thing is, this cyborg was set up with booby traps to catch anyone who tried to change the murdering rampage it was programmed to carry out. What ticks me off is I knew that 200 hundred years ago when I originally tried to fix it. But I’ll figure it out Rose,” he promised.

“Doctor, take a break and have a cuppa,” she said pouring his tea and fixing it the way he liked.

“Ta,” he said gratefully taking his cup.

Rose reached across pushing a few errant strands of hair off his forehead affectionately. “Doctor, I hate to remind you but you wanted to set up those cameras. Maybe after your tea you could do that cuz it’s gone midnight and I wondered, once that’s done, if you want to come to my room?”

Looking up at her with surprise and searching her eyes he finally said, “Oh yes I would, I really, really would but I have to fix the cyborg.” 

Rose could see his torment torn as he was between the need to protect her and the desire to be with her. She thought she might offer a solution and pointed out, “Well, why not install the cameras and then join me? Sometimes a break from a thorny problem brings fresh ideas. You can tackle the cyborg in the morning and Doctor I will be very upset if you let that thing blow you up and take you with it!” She gave him her tongue touched smile.

“But Rose,” he said, his dark eyes twinkling, “if I join you we won’t be getting much sleep for a very long time!”

“You braggin’ or complainin’?” she asked cheekily. 

Extricating himself from the nest of wires he came around to her and said, “It’s a promise Rose Tyler.” 

Then he gave her a toe tingling kiss pulling her up against his body feeling her melt into him. No harm in advertising a bit before he explained everything to her he thought. Taking her hand, they walked the long distance from the cyborg lab to the console room where he had laid out the surveillance devices he intended to install in the cabin.

In the third bedroom of the cabin a panel in the wall opened and Daryl moved stealthily into the pitch black room. He moved with surprising quiet for a large man and he knew the terrain like the back of his hand. The damn camera in the bathroom had shifted. He knew he was taking a chance but he was driven by a dark pathology over which he had little control. Occasionally his rational mind intruded and he was aware he was taking chances but then he simply dismissed his worry as unfounded. He was smarter and stronger than these fools. And she had to be taught a lesson. He moved to the picture on the outside bathroom wall and reached into the access hole, shifting the camera eye back into position. He couldn’t see into his renters’ bedroom from this angle but all was quiet.

As he moved back towards the third bedroom the Doctor opened the TARDIS doors.


	6. Chapter 6

Walking down the corridor to the console room Rose asked, “Doctor, if you can’t fix the Cyborg can we go back in time to save the women he killed or take pictures of him with those women so authorities would have proof?” 

“I thought of that Rose. We certainly couldn’t go back and save them. They’ve been gone too long and time has folded around them. Their families have moved on, some spouses have remarried, houses sold and bought by others and so on. The number of variables is so large it would be near impossible to avoid a major rupture in time if we changed things. As for filming the murders or even events leading up to it ....,” the Doctor paused and stopped walking. He got the far away look that signalled he was deep in thought. Familiar with this characteristic Rose knew not to interrupt him so she stood still watching him.

Finally he blinked and said to her, “Rose, I need to look forward in time. Leave it with me and I’ll answer more fully after I get the cameras set up.” Resuming their trek to the console room she looked up at him wondering what had made him rethink his certainty.

“The four women, the ones the police have pictures of may not be the only ones he murdered. There may be others they haven’t found yet right?” Rose visibly shuddered.

He nodded grimly.

“You want to see if the police find any more in the future. You want to see if one of them is me,” she whispered as they entered the console room.

The Doctor stopped and embraced her. “Rose, listen to me. I want to see who else the police discover yes but more importantly when they were murdered. There may be some out there that were killed recently or are about to be killed and if there are, we might be able to change the time line. He tightened his hold on her and whispered, “You will not be one of those women taken. I will not let that happen.” 

Rose believed him. She knew how brilliant he was and all the miracles he performed as a matter of course. As he ran his hands up her back to sooth her she made a promise to herself. She was going to be prepared. She hadn’t asked for this turn of events nor had the Doctor but if circumstances beyond the Doctor’s control led to her capture by this freak he would not know what hit him. She had faced Daleks and she would not be taken down by a backwoods psychopath. If it came down to it, if it was to save herself, she would kill him and hope it would avenge the women he’d murdered. She knew the Doctor would berate himself endlessly thinking it his fault she had to kill because of circumstances he’d put them in, but he’d get over it.

“Doctor, shouldn’t we wear tracking devices just incase yeah?”

“You are wearing one Rose, in fact I have three ways to track you. I know your penchant for wondering off! I’m afraid you can run but you can never hide. Not from me anyways!” He smiled at her and brushed his fingers over her cheek affectionately. 

“Do you think for one moment I would take a chance with your safety? There’s your TARDIS key, the metal fastener on every pair of jeans you own and the one I put here,” he said reaching behind her ear and explaining, “I put it here when you kissed me and no you can’t feel it because it is highly advanced technology.”

Rose jumped into his arms laughing in wonder. “But Doctor what about you?”

“Rose I am the only one of my kind. If you need to find me just ask the TARDIS....double hearts...remember?”

Gathering up the surveillance equipment he needed he explained, “This won’t take long Rose, then I’ll do a quick search in future police records, take a shower and join you. Are you sure you want me to?”

“You better Doctor, I really don’t want to sleep alone after all this,” she answered looking up at him.

“Nor me Rose. See you soon,” he murmured.

“Not if I see you first,” Rose said rising on her tip toes and kissing him.

The Doctor walked down the ramp, out the ship’s door and out the bedroom closet at the same moment Daryl drifted through the opening in the third bedroom replacing the panel behind him.

With his acute vision the Doctor had no problem moving through the dark cabin but as he made his way to the stairway he stopped suddenly. Someone was here. He could smell them. Standing stock still, controlling his breathing, he listened carefully for several minutes until he was satisfied whoever had been here was now gone. He took the two steps that placed him by the picture hung on the wall outside the loo and saw it was askew. Daryl had been here! The Doctor made up his mind. He would kill him if necessary to protect Rose and to prevent this bastard from murdering anyone else. He set cameras on the second floor and throughout the first floor, confident they would not be detected and then he eagerly moved back up the stairs to join Rose.

He knocked softly at her door, his hair still wet from his shower, but he hadn’t wanted to waste the time to dry it and style it. He knew he had to take the time to explain to her how his physiology worked and he had to be prepared to back away at the slightest hint she was hesitating. He heard her softly invite him to come in.

Entering her bedroom he looked around in surprise at how she had prepared for him wanting to make things ‘romantic’. He never thought he’d see it but she had cleaned up the piles of clothes she usually left strewn over the floor. All around the room she had placed twinkling fairy lights even wrapping them around the headboard of her bed. Sitting on the end of the bed, she sat waiting for him, clearly nervous. He saw his beautiful Rose in a silky, long negligee and smiled at the efforts she had made to be attractive to him. If she only knew it didn’t matter because everything about her was beautiful to him, desirable to him and she would always be that to him. 

Sitting beside her he could see her hands were shaking so he took one of them in his and asked softly, “Judging by the efforts you’ve made to create this....ahhh...magical atmosphere may I assume you haven’t had second thoughts?”

“No,” she said glancing at him, “I haven’t but I am kinda nervous and I was going to ask you the same thing, that is, if you’ve changed your mind?” 

“I haven’t Rose but tell me what are you nervous about?” he whispered, sitting down beside her, listening intently, making it clear that every word she said was important to him.

“Well, it’s just that I’ve been sitting waiting for you and I got to thinkin’ about how you have a lot more experience than me considerin’ how you’re a lot older ya know and I’m scared you’ll be disappointed, that it’ll be boring or ...dull compared to what the rest of the universe offers.” She sat looking down, her hands rigidly grabbing the edge of the mattress. 

“Rose I could never be disappointed in you. Besides couples normally give themselves time to learn what their partners like don’t they?” Rose nodded her agreement still looking down but with a soft smile at his consideration for her feelings. “We don’t have to be perfect the first time. We just have to be honest with each other, not be afraid to guide each other. We do that all the time anyway,” he reasoned.

“But Doctor you’re a Time Lord and probably you’ve had sex with proper beauties ya know with mad skills ‘n all. Probably they’d impress you with posh stuff not like my daft, cheap fairy lights, ” she explained her shoulders slumping.

“Rose the fairy lights are..... charming....I mean who doesn’t like fairy lights.” He tipped up her chin so she’d look at him. “I’ve never felt for anyone else what I feel for you Rose. And to me you are a beauty beyond compare.”

“Really?” she asked looking in his eyes, her hands scrunching up her negligee nervously.

“Really. And there’s something else Rose. I’m nervous too because I’m different than Earth men. I am afraid you won’t want me after I explain but, if that’s the case, you have to tell me okay?” 

Her natural empathy and curiosity kicked in so she hastened to reassure him. “Oh Doctor, I don’t care if you’re different cuz it’s you I want,” she emphasized using her hands to motion from the top of his head down to his toes. “We’re already compatible in every way that matters. I mean even if your bits are different I’m sure I could get used to them.”

He chuckled scooping her into his arms, just like he always did, pulling her down on the bed as they both laughed easing their tension.

“You look human Doctor. I doubt your naughty bits are that much different yeah?”

“You look Time Lord Rose and the reason you do is because at some point Time Lord naughty bits were involved!” he chuckled.

“All right then, what has you worried? Might as well get this sorted you daft alien!”

They lay side by side on Rose’s bed their heads propped on their hands facing each other under the fairy lights, both comfortable with the other, just like always. 

Reaching to brush the hair from her face he noted, “You know Rose, sexuality is not just about the sex organs, it’s about the mind, especially for a telepath like me.”

“How’s that work then? Do ya mean you’d need to be in my mind to....does it mean you can’t ya know...have sex without being in my mind?” she asked hesitantly. 

“Physically I could yes, mostly because I can control my physiology. I could have sex but I wouldn’t climax. My kind need both the physical sensation and the ecstasy of another’s mind to climax,” he explained watching for any signs of reluctance or worse, revulsion. He knew humans were sticklers about privacy. But bless her open heart, he saw only curiosity and a relaxed posture from her. He waited for the question he could sense on the tip of her tongue.

“But Doctor I’m not a telepath. Does it mean you wouldn’t have any pleasure from being with me!” 

He saw she was suddenly near tears thinking of him! Stunned, the Doctor realized she was more concerned about him than her own qualms about him being in her mind. Unable to prevent himself from touching her he ran his fingers around her voluptuous lips shushing her, soothing her.

“Rose, remember when we kissed,” he said and she nodded her eyes still full of liquid concern.

“Well,” he said, pausing to think of how to explain, “I wasn’t even in your mind but I had touched you here,” he reached behind her ear where he’d put the tracker and continued, “I sensed your surface thoughts and that brief brush with your mind was enough to leave me barely able to restrain myself. Seriously, the drive to have you took a long time to get under control!” It was the first hint he’d given her of what a Time Lord unleashed could be like. 

“Really?” she asked, already feeling better as evidenced by her hearts stopping smile, especially when he nodded.

“So, even though I’m not a telepath, you can get enough juice from my mind to get off.”

The Doctor chuckled at his ever practical Rose. “Rose, you may not be a telepath but I can still enter your mind, even though you can’t enter mine,” his voiced dropped several registers, richly male in its timbre as he continued, “I would know what you feel when I stimulate you, know if I should lick or suck, move more to the left or right, press harder or softer because I would feel what you feel.” 

He was a Time Lord so he picked up her dilated pupils, rising pulse, and her blood rushing to her sex and her pillowy lips, deepening their pink colour, as he watched. Reminding himself sharply not to touch her until she fully understood and could give her fully informed consent, he couldn’t help but feel encouraged when he saw no signs of reticence from her.

“There’s more Rose that I need you to know,” he said with a serious tone.

“‘Kay,” she murmured drowning in his eyes.

In the past, what you call promiscuous behaviour was quite common among Time Lords although they didn’t think of it in those terms. Time Lords had healthy libidos. Among non bonded couples sex was quite common, not necessarily with any particular attachment. Telepathic connection was made, desire expressed and the mating drive kicked in. Occasionally a couple would bond permanently because they only wanted that partner for the rest of their long lives, quite a commitment considering our longevity. Course Rassilon came along and banned casual relations but he was never able to stamp out bonded relationships. 

“Anyhow, if, through telepathic contact, I sense your desire for me there will be no stopping me. When it comes to our sex drive we might as well be salmon compelled to swim up stream to mate. It is you who must police your thoughts. Once I am aroused, I will aggressively pursue you until I take you as many times as is necessary to end the drive to mate or until you telepathically tell me no. If I do not mate once you’ve signalled desire, it is very painful for me and can take days to pass.”

Rose listened intently and asked, “Are we talking days of sex or hours. And just to be clear, if I make it clear in my mind to stop, will you stop?”

Smiling the Doctor said, “Hours and yes,”

“Well then,” she replied, “I don’t see a problem Doctor. Do you?”

He responded reaching for her temples and Rose watched his eyes turn black as her desire for him swept him away. 

(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to cut off the chapter before they get together but be patient. They do in the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter concerns the bonding and union of our heroes. It contains explicit material.

As he stood he ordered her to move up the bed. She turned and scrambled to obey, not realizing his order had not been spoken out loud but in her mind. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him shuck his night shirt and she was riveted by his pleasing form, highlighted and shadowed to perfection by her twinkle lights. His tight muscled ass was a work of art with the musculature to drive powerful thrusts. Before she could study his back and legs he turned and his full frontal display would forever be etched in her memory. 

He lifted his head and his dark dishevelled hair was backlit by the fairy lights. They illuminated the planes of his face in light and shadow and turned his black eyes into light tricked fire. She shivered at the assessing look he gave her. Butterflies flew in her belly but that did not stop her from taking in the masculine spread of his shoulders tapering down to his narrow waist and his turgid erect length. Unconsciously licking her lips, she forced her eyes away from its impressive dimensions continuing down his perfectly formed thighs and legs, as if sculpted out of rock. His bearing, his carriage and his long lean body belonged to a god in the flesh. As her eyes feasted on his form she short circuited, squirming and itching for him, feeling her own lubrication slippery between her thighs and knowing it was her primitive response to him. She saw his nostrils flare seeking her scent and her mind was engulfed with his flames. 

With a low rumbling at the back of his throat, he crawled on all fours up the bed towards his prize like a slinking panther, caging her between his legs and arms and pushing her gown up her thighs with his nose, seeking her scent. Frustrated with the interference of her garment, he sat back, resting on his heals, thighs spread, his thick length bobbing and swinging. He reached up to the vee at her breasts and ripped it down the middle seam, pushing her wrapping to each side revealing her fully to his eyes for the first time.

Visibly trembling she watched him studying her. From what he had explained, it shouldn’t be possible but his eyes turned back to chocolate brown and he reached with one finger and in the tenderest of touches he ran it gently over her clavicle.

“You are so beautiful my Rose. Will you mate with me?” His head tilted back, ligaments in his neck corded in the struggle to hold back the over powering drive to take her. “Will you be my bond mate Rose Tyler? Will you be mine forever?” His eyes were filled with anguish and struggle as he waited painful seconds for her to bless him.

“Always! I will be your bond mate and I will love you forever!” Her mind and heart leapt seeking him out. She knew they were meant for this and her heartfelt desire to be all she could be transcended all metaphysical barriers and she stormed into his mind. 

Even in his current state the Doctor was aware of the fervent conviction of her statement. His mind raced to connect permanently with hers. It would be enough. It would save him but he was shocked to find her glowing presence there, shining brightly, waiting for him. He merged their minds together with the permanent connection of his people, the connection from old that transcended time and space. 

Surrendering, bending her in two, he thrust into her body howling his pleasure, “She is mine, she is mine! Rose Tyler is my bond mate and I am hers!”

The joining of their bodies drove the wildest, hungering lust Rose had ever experienced. Her mind was infused with his mating fervour and she was like some pagan dancing naked in firelight before him, begging him with the movement of her hips and her keening wails to take her, to fill her. She wasn’t used to his size but she welcomed the discomfort knowing she would adapt to him as her overwhelming, pulsing drive to have him overruled any other consideration. She was just as driven as him because she could feel what the broad head of his cock felt when he entered her tightness causing her to demand again, again. She was ravenous for him and just like him she had to come as soon as possible to dampen the madness with a first orgasm and then she could focus on finesse and touching him, exploring him and loving him.

Totally abandoning any pretext of reserve she threw herself willingly into the most craven animal sex of her life, biting and keening and demanding more. Just as driven, he seemed to get harder with every stroke until he exploded, spurting his cum into her again and again, shouting his release as his length continued to spasm inside her and her heat clenched around him again and again. They panted in the aftermath of their mating and it was the most deeply satisfying experience of their lives.

Her arms and thighs were splayed and her eyes closed as she panted from the effects of their physically vigorous coupling. But it was’t long before he groaned and stirred from his position with his head nuzzled in her neck and his body between her legs. Knowing she hadn’t recovered he moved beside her kissing her deeply with reverence and love. She had accepted him, taken him as bond mate and she had been in his mind, his pink and yellow girl! How was that possible? He didn’t care he was just grateful. 

The mating frenzy was returning but she was not ready, although she was definitely willing. He kissed her again so she would taste him and he brushed his lips over her nearest nipple titillating it with the very tip of his tongue. He touched where her nerve bundles were, sometimes soft brushing touches, sometimes deep muscle touches in her inner thighs, the dimples of Venus in her lower back, her inner arms and he did something with touch behind her ears, gently awakening her body to him once again. He did this gradually, teasing and quickening nerves, and then he touched the triggers in her mind restoring her to her pre-orgasm state, making her ready for him again. He needed her again. The drumbeat of his double hearts was steadily increasing. He moved down her body using her ripped negligee to wipe her clean between her legs, then he bent to where her scent was strongest and he could smell himself there, as it should be. Only his scent would be here for the rest of her life! She was his and it excited him. He licked her eliciting a soft groan from her lips. Her taste filled him and his body trembled with the returning frenzy. 

He struggled to hold it back as his tongue made her hips move, her sensuous mouth whispering his name. Rose wasn’t a Time Lady so she didn’t have their strength in the face of the mating madness. He was afraid to hurt her so he would pleasure her, make her come in a way that wasn’t so physically demanding. Rose lay captive to his licking, swirling tongue, her legs bent and spread open, utterly revealing herself to him. Gawd he was so skilled and she was lost in bliss as his tongue drove her heartbeat upwards and she pleaded with him to never stop. She felt him grinding himself against the bed desperately seeking relief. Being in his mind she knew his fear that she might not be strong enough to handle the onslaught of his need. He was afraid she wouldn’t want him after it was over. 

Looking down her body she saw him bent to his task, eyes dark and glinting, his hair wildly tousled. She used her hands to slide up the bed and away from him, not easy considering how close to orgasm he had brought her. She watched him rise on all fours in confusion, so hard his erection was tight to his torso twitching and smearing his pre cum against his belly. She flipped herself over and raised her ass in the air lowering her torso to the bed commanding him to take her as hard as he could. His strangled howl of relief pleased her and his hearts beat drove her mad with his urgent need for release. She knew her exposed bottom excited him, made him tremble with the primal urge to pound into her. He was growling as he lined himself up behind her. She saw him drinking in the view of what he thought was her perfectly formed ass. He saw her wet heat in the form of pink swollen labia and his engorged purplish head twitching against them. The view made him tremble with the need to plunge into her. Seizing her hips and pulling her back he impaled her, his eyes closing with acute pleasure. In this position he could drive his whole length into her small frame and his balls tingled at the rush, the ecstasy making him harder. She was showing him she wanted him and would take nothing less than all of him. She lifted her head and wailed for him to fuck her. He drove into her again and again, calling her name, telling her he could never get enough of her, telling the heavens Rose Tyler was his! 

After they collapsed again, panting in blessed relief, the Doctor watched her, looking for any fear or worry or concern in her mind as they recovered from their exertions. He felt tears prickle at the edge of his eyes when all he sensed from her was her attraction to him and her extreme satisfaction with f mastery. Apparently she had never been properly pleasured by a partner before! But what really touched him was her love and her happiness at being his partner for life. She wanted to be the best bond mate she could be and he knew her heart loved him and was devoted to him. He was left humbled by her acceptance. Despite his alien nature she was not in any way repulsed by him nor was she ready yet to tell him no. She loved him! He couldn’t fathom why but he made sure he bathed her mind with his devotion to her. He loved this brilliant woman. She was perfect. 

Several moments later, Rose got up, walking gingerly to her en-suite. When she returned with a soapy bowl and cloth she saw he was already hard again and spreadeagled on the bed waiting for her. What a sight and she paused briefly to take in her gorgeous alien before she bent to wash him. His eyes slid closed with pleasure as she soaped his body, arms, legs and back. She worked quickly so the water stayed warm. Then, with her hands, she languidly soaped his length and his balls leaving him bobbing and twitching for her as she left to get warm rinse water. Basking in the pleasurable and refreshing interlude, he watched his beautiful bond mate walk naked to the en-suite for more water.

He hummed as she rinsed him watching her intently while propped up on his elbows, until she surprised him taking him in her mouth, tonguing and sucking, circling his balls with her tongue and lips. It was the most erotic thing he had seen or experienced. When she suckled the large head of his cock with her plump lips and gripped him, stroking him, he fell back on the bed and allowed himself to revel in pure sensation. His groans increased as she used her ability to feel what he felt, to zero in on the exact pressure he needed, where to focus her flicking tongue and she felt his exploding orgasm spurting as she swallowed and sucked. In this way she satisfied his need and gave her sore parts a rest and she still experienced an orgasm - his male release!

The Doctor’s ardor continued into the night played out in inventive techniques and positions that were less physically demanding for Rose but they were no less satisfying. Gradually their frenzy abated and it became less about chasing release and more about loving caresses and adoring whispers of love and fidelity. The Doctor used their mental connection to love her rather than push her physically. For him it was such exquisite pleasure to feel her in his mind in after centuries with a black empty space in his mind. He was still at her at 7 am the next morning and she told him to stop because she was sore and tired. Remarkably his eyes cleared and he pulled the blankets around them and then he curled around her whispering in her ear he had never ever been satisfied so completely by someone so beautiful. Rose thought the same about him as she drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Three hours and fourteen seconds later the Doctor woke wrapped in his bond mate’s arms. Time Lords who bonded were fastidious about imprinting their mate’s scent and brain patterns because it gave them a sense of well being and comfort. He had never been bonded before and he opened his eyes luxuriating in that comfort. Seeing Rose peacefully sleeping he felt such delight his hearts were soaring. He smiled at her disheveled blond storm of hair, knowing she needed more undisturbed sleep. He would have happily stayed in her arms watching her sleep for hours had it not been for his concern about Daryl and the need to protect her from his foul intentions. 

Slowly and carefully he disentangled himself slipping from her bed. Looking back at her sleeping form for a few minutes he felt his hearts swell with gratitude for the wondrous gift she was. He left to use the shower in his room, not wanting to disturb her and risk waking her. Afterwards he went to his lab to work on the cyborg. Three hours into the work he reluctantly concluded repairing the cyborg would take far too long to be of use in their present circumstances. Sensing Rose was entering her wake cycle he left for the galley to make her tea.

She was awake so he hurried to her room not wanting her to wonder why he had left her. He need not have worried. Because of their mind connection she knew he was bringing her tea. Unused to having her in his mind it was only when her happiness and eagerness to see him burst into his consciousness did he relax. 

Maneuvering into the room with his tray he gave her an ecstatic smile. “Good afternoon, Rose Tyler! How are you feeling?” He set the tray down handing her a mug of tea.

“Ta Doctor. I feel brilliant!” She paused taking a sip as the Doctor looked her over.

She had put on a robe and he was a little disappointed he couldn’t see her naked but he also knew she would probably avoid triggering him for a day or two, maybe three but he really hoped it wouldn’t be that long. He found himself remembering her half lidded eyes, her cries for him and her back arched in ecstasy and decided it wouldn’t be wise to continue that line of thought. Smiling at him knowingly Rose took another sip of her tea.

“It won’t be that long Doctor,” she drawled, “I don’t think I could wait that long!”

Thrilled beyond measure, he jumped in the air landing on the bed beside her, causing her to bounce on the bed. Giggling at his antics even though she barely avoided spilling her tea she moved it safely to her bedside table.

“I am very glad to hear that Rose,” he smiled propped on his elbow facing her. Brushing her hair from her face, his eyes tenderly studying her, he asked, “Was it okay Rose? Was it too much?”

Understanding his heartfelt need for reassurance she put her finger on his lips as tenderly as he had done with her and she whispered in his ear, “Doctor, it was more than okay. It was the most amazing, mind blowing sex I’ve ever had.” 

His self satisfied grin made her smile as he reached for her giving her a wonderful Doctor hug. “I was so worried Rose, worried you wouldn’t like me anymore, wouldn’t like me like that!”

Her arms wrapped around him, she whispered, “I loved you like that Doctor. You were bloody brilliant. I couldn’t get enough of you!”

They stayed wrapped together until Rose pulled back slightly and asked, “Doctor, are we really bonded, I mean bonded permanently like being...being married?” Her voice was tentative and shy but she had to know what he thought they had committed to last night.

Worried why she was asking he nodded yes and waited without breathing for her reaction. He need not have worried because Rose Tyler hugged him fiercely and told him she thought that was a very good thing and for the second time in twenty four hours tears prickled in his eyes. 

“Stay right there Doctor, I need to pee but I have more questions yeah?” Sliding from the bed she duck-walked to the ensuite, clearly sore. Looking over her shoulder she saw the Doctor resting his head in his hands against the headboard, with the cockiest grin on his face. “Wipe that smirk off your face before I get back here Mister!” 

While she quickly showered and dressed the Doctor closed his eyes and enjoyed his tea happier than he’d ever been in his long life. Rose Tyler wanted him and he would hold her cherished in his hearts for as long as he lived. When she returned she filled her cup again and sat on the bed facing him.

“Any luck with the cyborg Doctor?” she asked combing out her wet hair in between sipping her tea.

Before answering the Doctor couldn’t help but take note of how domestic the scene was but more than that, how comfortable it made him, how happy he felt. They’d made love all night and now here they were drinking tea in her bedroom talking about anything and everything. He realized with a certain wonder they had, almost from the beginning, been that way. It was Rose of course. She had made him better.

Puzzled he hadn’t answered she prompted him again, “Doctor, the cyborg?”

Snapping back into focus the Doctor expressed his regret, “I can fix it Rose but it could take months I’m afraid.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured, judging by all the wires, it was gonna be very complicated. I’m starving. How about brunch on the dock and we make a plan,” she said cheerfully.

“A most excellent idea, Rose Tyler!” he hummed happily.

Down on the dock they inhaled a respectable feast of leftovers from meals the Doctor had cooked earlier. Of course it was delicious combined as it was with a fresh salad, interesting and tasty dips and a baguette of fresh bread from the galley’s stasis chamber. They enjoyed a crisp white wine and another beautiful autumn day as well as the rest of Rose’s apple pie. Rose thought everything had turned out beyond her dreams. Except for Daryl whose dark intentions cast a pall over their joy. She wanted it dealt with so they could have the rest of the week as their honeymoon. 

“Doctor, what are we going to do about Daryl? Is there some way we can take the fight to him?”

“I was thinking the same thing. We could find that suitcase. If I could verify it contains human remains then we call the police and we’d be able to corroborate Daryl put it there. Combined with any footage we get if he comes in the cottage tonight, it should make a compelling case. The police would be able to verify the other dead women all had the same thing in common - the renting of this cabin from Daryl.”

“Doctor, that’s excellent. Let’s do that. I know you didn’t expect him to show last night but any chance you got any footage?” Rose lifted her shades looking at him because she sensed he knew something.

“When I went to set up my cameras I could smell him....” Rose gasped interrupting him.

“What? What happened Doctor? Why didn’t you tell me?” She looked horrified.

“Well, I smelled him but he had already left. I knew he’d been there because the picture outside the loo had been moved. Unfortunately I hadn’t yet set up my cameras.”

Rose nodded noting sardonically, “Well, he’ll be back if only to find out why we never use the bloody loo!”

“What about more dead women?” she asked fearfully.

“Well,” he said with some hesitation, “I didn’t find any.”

“So why the hesitation?” Rose asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Realizing their mind connection was going to require getting used to, he said, “It’s not that I found anything else that I’m keeping from you Rose. It’s just that I’d be remiss not to remind you I wouldn’t see anything that crossed my timeline including future police reports. For example, police reports relating to whatever’s in the suitcase or another murder, if it were connected in any way with my time line, I would not be able to see. 

She nodded her understanding knowing full well that inability to see his own future meant he had no way of seeing if Daryl got her and she knew that troubled him deeply, that inability to guarantee her protection. But there were no guarantees in life so she took another look at their gorgeous surroundings. It seemed extended downtime for them didn’t come easily but nothing could be done about it so she clapped her hands together and got up saying, “We best crack on then Doctor and go take a look at what’s in that suitcase yeah?” The thought of it made her stomach lurch and she reluctantly acknowledged she’d probably lose her lunch.

Nodding his agreement the Doctor stood swallowing the last bit of his wine as they reluctantly packed up the remains of lunch taking it back up to the cottage. They stashed their food in the cabin refrigerator and their dishes in the dishwasher. Just because he could, he embraced Rose from behind as she stood at the sink and kissed her cheek. 

“You’re everything to me Rose, let’s get this done and find some time for us.” He nuzzled into her neck seeking her comforting scent. He hated it when she was at risk. It scared the hell out of him but they both knew you just couldn’t avoid the risks that came with responsibility so they were both inclined to get on with it not wanting it hanging over their heads. It just wasn’t an option to get in the TARDIS and run away.

“Doctor, I’m just going to run upstairs and get a jacket, be back in a mo’,” she called.

“Bring the helmets Rose!” he yelled swinging on his coat from the back of the sofa.

Finally, they were suited and helmeted up, ready to go. He watched Rose start her bike like a pro and off they went taking a leisurely wide turn out of the driveway heading down the country road to where Daryl had thrown the mysterious suitcase.

It wasn’t hard to find it. As the Doctor had predicted they soon saw carrion birds circling above the spot as they slowed their bikes to a stop.

The Doctor turned to Rose and suggested, “Why don’t you stay here Rose. No need to accompany me. I won’t be long. I’m just going to scan the suitcase with the sonic. It’ll tell me if there are human remains inside. He wouldn’t have thrown it far given it’s weight.”

Rose nodded her agreement. It made sense. She took off her helmet looking at the birds circling above as the Doctor left the dirt road plowing into the bush. 

Daryl Burton watched unseen from the woods less than 50 meters away where he was holed up in a hunting blind he had set up close to his last prize, currently rotting in a suitcase nearby. During the long hours of waiting for a deer he liked to fill his mind with the excitement of his human kills. What luck! The pretty blonde whore had come to him! Oh this was too easy! He positioned his tranquilizer gun. Even for deer he liked to see them go down slowly, see the terror in the eyes as he slowly skinned them alive. Moving the rifle to his shoulder he had a clear shot through the trees to where his suitcase lay. He had deliberately placed his blind to allow that view. It aided his mad, ecstatic remembrances. Daryl Burton was a crack shot. He calmed, aimed and took the shot. The Doctor fell with a feathered dart in his neck. Just as Rose turned towards the Doctor hearing his cry she felt the dart hit her shoulder and she fell on the dirt road oblivious to the terror to come.


	9. Chapter 9

Staggering and grabbing at the dart in his neck the Doctor fell, his face planted amongst the bronze and red leaves of autumn on the forest floor. His system was racing to counteract the chemicals from the tranquilizer dart. Physically he was compromised, unable to move but he could think and that was the rub. Eyes open, he spied Daryl through the golden opening in the canopy of trees overhead. He was crawling out of his hunting blind headed for the road and Rose. He tried to roar his rage and warning to Rose but to no avail. Internally he screamed to himself,, “Get up! Get up! Save her!” 

His Time Lord brain raced to estimate how long it would take to counteract the chemicals. How could he not have seen that hunting blind? He had led Rose directly into the hands of a killer. It would take 10 minutes to counteract the tranquilizer. Ten minutes! Ten minutes was a lifetime for Daryl to take his Rose and hurt her.

Thinking about Rose he knew what she would say. Oh how he yearned to see her face telling him, “Doctor, it’s not your fault,” she’d say. “Blaming yourself is taking precious seconds away from figurin’ things out yeah?” 

Forcing himself to remember the lessons of his youth he applied them to control his emotions and focus on a rational analysis. Daryl was carrying her. He could hear the footsteps heavy with the the weight of another person. He listened realizing Daryl was crossing the road following a path of some sort. He heard a door slam five minutes later and an engine start. It was his truck. It moved slowly onto the road and turned heading back towards the cabin until it was beyond his range of hearing. Or was it that he had stopped at the cabin? 

Testing his motor coordination he was able, after several tries, to push himself to sitting position. Struggling to his feet proved futile as he failed to properly coordinate his limbs and fell several times before he finally stood, shaking and swaying like a baby giraffe but he stayed upright. His body was neutralizing the tranquilizer. As he struggled to stabilize his stance the pungent, eye watering odour of decomposition assaulted him. He knew from the scan he had managed to get, before he was shot, that the contents were human. 

He took a first unsteady step towards the road, then another and another. With each painfully slow step his coordination was improving. He knew Daryl wouldn’t go far. He had to constrain Rose somewhere and make it back to kill him. He made it to the motor bikes but couldn’t risk taking one because they were noisy and that would alert Daryl. The Doctor had no doubt the truck had shotguns with shells, not tranquilizer darts. He’d seen them before in the cab of the truck. If he took a motor bike Daryl would be alerted long before he got to the cabin. If he was shot no one would save Rose! Needs must he thought and he turned towards the cabin. At first the best he could muster was a hobbling, unsteady gait but soon he was running full tilt to save Rose. Daryl didn’t know that he could run a mile in under four minutes. He also didn’t know he could now track Rose with his mind. If they weren’t at the cabin he would use the TARDIS to take him to her. Daryl Burton was going to regret the day he laid a hand on Rose Tyler. 

Had anyone seen him on that autumn day they would have suspected him to be an Olympian. He flew down the centre of the road, his coat flapping behind him and his plimsolls barely touching the ground. His pumping arms adding propulsion, his double hearts pumping more than sufficient blood and his lungs fuelling his body with the oxygen he needed. The only incongruity such an observer would have noticed was an odd choice of clothing for an Olympian.

Approaching from the far side of the road so he wouldn’t be seen, he crossed over to the cabin under cover of trees and saw Daryl’s truck! Not only that but he’d parked it close to the end of the cabin where there were no windows. Silently opening the truck door he lifted the first shotgun down from the rack on the back of the cab, removed the shells, and carefully put the rifle back. Then he did the same with the second. The tranquilizer gun had likely been left in the blind because Daryl knew his next shots were to kill, not to torture. He opened the glovebox and found no handguns. He scooped the shotgun shells he found there and dropped them in his coat pocket. Daryl was coming, no doubt intending to return to the suitcase and kill him. He had maybe 20 minutes before Daryl realized he was on the loose and made the round trip back to the cabin. 

The Doctor reasoned Daryl wouldn’t be torturing and killing women in the cabin. It was too risky not to mention too messy. He must have taken Rose to some lair close by and to make matters worse, she was unconscious so he could barely sense her, but she seemed close. He had to get to the TARDIS where he could zero in on her trackers. Like quicksilver he moved around the end of the truck slipping soundlessly to the back of the cabin as he heard Daryl heading down the stairs off the deck at the front. He watched him approach the truck whistling and rubbing himself through his trousers. The Doctor almost retched realizing Daryl was aroused at the idea of murdering him or torturing Rose or both. He had to find Rose because soon Daryl would know the jig was up. He would remove the evidence and double his efforts to kill them both.

Daryl skidded out the driveway heading down the road at high speed. Recalculating Daryl’s return time he raced to the front entrance and up the stairs to the second floor, through the closet and up the ramp of the TARDIS. His beautiful ship felt his urgency and had pulled up Rose’s tracking data on the screen. He found the TARDIS key registered to a location up the road, closer to where the Doctor believed Daryl was speeding towards the suitcase. So the bastard had taken a souvenir. The second tracker, the metal button on her jeans was in the woods where Daryl had put Rose in his truck. Oh he was going to hurt this man. He’d taken her jeans off and Rassilon only knew what else he’d done to her. She’d been unconscious! His hands fisted and he tried to control his rage for he had little time. He had to find her! 

Looking for the tracker signal behind her ear he was shocked to see it was here, somewhere in the cabin! What the hell? How could that be? He studied the monitor closely. Subterranean, she was under the cabin. Had he buried her alive! No, be logical he told himself. Daryl didn’t have time to dig a grave....unless he had prepared it before their arrival...no it couldn’t be. Daryl would never bury her alive without having the sadistic pleasure that he needed to get off. All through his reasoning a separate part of his Time Lord brain was counting down the seconds until Daryl’s return. He was bouncing up and down on his plimsolls wanting to run and find Rose but knowing he had to first study the data on her whereabouts if he was to find her. He estimated he had 8 minutes until Daryl’s return. He turned to race to the door when the TARDIS commanded him to listen. 

“Not now, old girl,” the Doctor said frustrated and reaching for the door but it wouldn’t open.

He turned and ran back up the ramp. He knew his ship loved Rose and wouldn’t prevent him from leaving if it wasn’t really important. To his surprise she seized his mind and quickly showed him a time line he wouldn’t normally be able to see. His ship rarely did that because there were good reasons he couldn’t see his own time line but she knew he would try something he shouldn’t and that he would change a fixed point in time. He was shaken when the TARDIS released him but he managed to force himself to turn and race down the ramp and out the doors.

Using his sonic he sprinted downstairs scanning for underground cavities, nothing! But it didn’t make sense. He moved to the back utility room and found an underground cavity but no way in, no entrance! He started tapping the wall and realized the cabin was smaller on the inside than the outside. Now that was a weird irony. Always chose bigger on the inside he thought! Was that the case on the second level? His internal clock told him he had 3 minutes and 20 seconds until Daryl returned. He found nothing in the first and second bedrooms and entered the third. He started scanning and then bent down reaching for something under the bed. Rose’s one earring! He’d brought her here! He kept scanning and found the cavity and the entrance. As Daryl pulled into the driveway, the Doctor found the irregularity in the wood clad wall and removed the panel slipping through and replacing the panel.

As Daryl slammed his truck door closed, he was in a fury. That pinstriped pansy should never have recovered from that dose of tranquilizer he’d gotten! Now he was loose and he’d been snooping around his suitcase which meant he had to move it! From the disturbed foliage he knew this Doctor fellow had made it back to the road but where did he go? No way he would have made it back to the cabin before him with no vehicle since he’d left the bikes behind. Now he’d have to kill the pretty one quickly and that pissed him right off. He liked to proceed slowly and methodically and now he had to move her too. Damn, double damn! He had no choice but to get rid of the evidence because the pinstriped bastard had probably gone for help.

The first thing the Doctor noticed as he moved down the dark stairs was the smell, the smell of Daryl, the smell of putrefying flesh, and of fear. There was a light switch at the top of the stairs but he ignored it. Rose was alive and just starting to wake! Thank Rassilon for that! He entered what seemed like a cold cellar of sorts. Three walls were lined with shelves most likely originally intended for canned goods and root vegetables. The shelves were now occupied with what could only be considered instruments of torture. There was a secondary smaller room he would deal with later. He reached above and unscrewed the sole lightbulb so Daryl would descend into darkness. The Doctor knew he had the advantage in the dark. Now he had to free Rose. She was shackled and hanging from the ceiling by her wrists and she was naked from the waste down. If Daryl had touched her he was going to feel pain, pain equal to what he did to these women, but he would not give Daryl the comfort of death. 

He used the sonic to remove the shackles around her wrists causing her to fall against him. She groaned starting to stir. Wrapping his coat around her he shuffled her over to the corner setting her down softly and standing guard in front of her as he waited for Daryl. 

“Doctor?” Rose croaked, “where are you?”

“Rose, sweetheart,” he whispered, bending down and running his fingers over her cheeks, “I’ve got you Rose but you have to stay quiet. Daryl took you and put you in a root cellar but I found you. You have to stay quiet because Daryl is coming and I want the element of surprise. I won’t let him get you.”

She nodded her understanding, her eyes brighter, a strong indicator she was recovering. He could see she was silently positioning herself for action. Turning the Doctor stood again, all his senses alert as he heard Daryl coming up the cabin stairs to the second floor. 

Once again he used the touchstone of his training to prepare. One by one he ran through his senses putting himself into a state of hyper alertness. He prepared himself to fight, ruthlessly suppressing his emotions and remembering how to anticipate the moves of an enemy in hand to hand combat. He had learned the skills from the masters at his academy and he had kept his training honed through all his regenerations. It’s not that he liked fighting, it’s just that he was not above using his fists because he would never use a gun. Not only that but he taught his companions defensive and offensive moves. Rose was an eager student and had considerable aptitude plus she never shirked her regular practice. No doubt her skills as a bronze winning gymnast had helped her with the the basics of balance and agility. 

Hearing Daryl enter the third bedroom the Doctor telepathically alerted Rose to leave and go to the TARDIS the second she could get up those stairs. Rose didn’t object. Now wasn’t the time to distract him but it would be a cold day in hell before she would leave him alone with this monster.

She heard Daryl flick the light switch and curse at the lack of light.


	10. Chapter 10

Daryl paused at the top of the stairs when the light switch didn’t produce light. He frowned wondering at his bad luck. At first he felt uneasy at the coincidence but quickly dismissed it knowing with the certainty of a man overconfident in his abilities that the pansy wouldn’t have the courage to take him on. Anyway he would never have discovered his sanctuary of pleasure let alone made it back here. He turned on the staircase and rummaged about for the flashlight he kept on a ledge. Rose saw light from the flashlight spill down into the stairway dimly illuminating the root cellar. She felt the Doctor coiled like a spring with a level of concentration no human could achieve.

Footstep by footstep the Doctor and Rose heard their nemesis move warily down the stairs. Tucked into the dark corner by the shelves where they wouldn’t be seen they heard him stop on the stairs. Daryl got down to the second from bottom step and stopped. The Doctor saw the barrel of his shotgun protruding into the cellar knowing Daryl hadn’t checked it so he didn’t know it wasn’t loaded. The Doctor knew it was at this point his angle afforded him a view of the hanging shackles where he expected Rose to be hanging. 

“What the fuck?” Daryl muttered stepping onto the cellar floor facing the shackles. In so doing he was positioned with the Doctor behind him.

Stepping silently from the shadows, knowing Daryl would think it was Rose behind him, the Doctor tapped him on the shoulder. Daryl knew he couldn’t get off a shot in such a confined space but his rifle had other ways to be lethal. Instantly he crouched, sliding his gun barrel through his hands, intent on turning and smashing the stock of the gun against Rose’s head. He began his turn on one foot gleeful that the force of the blow would crack her skull open and produce a satisfying sound. 

The seconds seemed to slow and stretch around him as he made the turn and beheld the black eyes of a man quite familiar with the demons of hell. Daryl knew he had grossly underestimated him and his stomach lurched in panic. Time resumed and the rifle stock approached the Doctor’s head and hope returned to Daryl until at the last second the Doctor raised his hand. With all that momentum Daryl thought he would be okay until the stock of the the rifle stopped abruptly in the Doctor’s hand as though it had hit a brick wall. His rifle was effortlessly plucked from his hands and his guts started to churn at the look of cold fury in the man’s eyes. Who the hell was he? Distantly Daryl heard what sounded like a macabre nursery rhyme.

“You’re in trouble now Daryl,” Rose sing-songed peeking out behind the Doctor wrapped in his warm coat. “Time to pay the piper,” she continued singing, waggling a scolding finger at him.

Grabbing him by the scruff of his neck with one hand the Doctor balled his fist striking Daryl with precisely enough force to break his right cheek bone. He struck again on the other side effecting the same damage. Daryl collapsed but the Time Lord picked him up effortlessly and with the next blow shattered his chin. Pausing, the Doctor debated whether to drive Daryl’s brow bone back into his brain but that would kill him and the Doctor was not letting him off that easy! Daryl was whimpering and sniffling and truly afraid. As the Doctor lifted him again Daryl was shrieking. Reaching under his shirt collar the Doctor applied pressure to a very particular spot, a nerve bundle that would cause him pain and incapacitate him. He let him crumple to the floor spreadeagled unable to move. 

Rose stepped forward and kicked him in the bollocks with force four times, spitting out, “One for each lovely woman whose life you took in horrible pain you sick, useless wanker!” 

The Doctor considered hanging Daryl in the shackles he’d hung Rose in but knew he had other gruesome work to attend to and he didn’t want Rose to be witness. 

“Rose can you use the cabin phone to call 911 and get the police and ambulance here. Give them enough info to light a fire under them. I put the county road number and address by the phone just incase.” 

Rose nodded and headed to the stairs.

Picking up the flashlight Daryl had dropped, the Doctor lit the stairs for Rose, reaching up to tighten the lightbulb in the ceiling. Rose flicked on the light at the top of the stairs and the Doctor faced the gruesome images of depravity. He took some comfort from the fact that after hundreds of years he could still feel sick in the face of such degenerate behaviour. He hadn’t become immune to the horrors he all too often saw. The Doctor knew that psychopaths had a brain abnormality involving the amygdala that was beyond the surgical skills of surgeons in this time period. That said, not all psychopaths killed so he didn’t waste time with recriminations about what he’d done to Daryl. He’d protected his bond mate. He hadn’t sought revenge. He knew there was no satisfaction along that path. 

Steeling himself for what was to come he moved into the smaller back room and had to control the involuntary reflex to retch at what he saw. There were times he wanted to abandon humans. They did not deserve his protection. He looked over the poor soul Daryl had left to die in horrible excruciating agony. Daryl had partially skinned her torso and legs. He’d left her pretty face whole, although it was contorted in agony. Other atrocities had been committed on her person. He knew Daryl had kept her here in the dark and taken her skin gradually each time he visited. He had left her soiled with her own waste. His sense of smell told him that infection and gangrene had set in and although he could have saved her he must not and he cursed the laws of time that made it so. He moved to her side and she shuddered in fear expecting more pain and horror from Daryl. The Doctor placed his fingers on her temples. 

Modulating his inner voice and filling her with a sense of comfort and reassurance he said, “Hello. I am the Doctor. The man who did this to you has been taken care of so he will not hurt you again. He tried to take my wife. She is now calling the police. May I relieve your pain?”

The woman opened her eyes and found safety and reassurance in his sympathetic brown eyes. Filled with relief, she trusted this stranger instantly and so she nodded her assent. The Doctor shut down her pain receptors relieved to see the tension in her body leave. Her internal voice was weak and weary. She could not speak out loud he knew. Her voice was too hoarse from screaming and her strength was depleted from suffering.

“What is your name?” the Doctor asked softly in her mind.

“Sally,” she replied, “Sally Dunbar. My baby, my daughter, I need to get her a message! Can you help me.” 

“Sally Dunbar, I never refuse a request for help. Where is your daughter?”

“I left her with my sister, Rebecca Dunbar. My sister lives in Portland, Oregon. I’m not going to make it am I?” 

The Doctor knew the tears in Sally’s eyes did not come from a fear of dying. They were tears for her daughter. This woman was very special and she reminded him of the nobility and courage of humans. She and so many like her were the reason why he would never abandon them.

“Sally, I am so sorry but no I don’t think so. I wish very much it were not so. I would have been honoured to know you. May I stay with you?” 

“Yes please stay with me. I’m afraid to be alone! Doctor, will you tell my daughter I love her so much.”

“I promise Sally Dunbar I will tell your daughter just that, your exact words. I give you my word. I will tell you something else. Your sister keeps your little girl and loves her fiercely. Your little one is called Samantha right?”

Sally Dunbar hadn’t told him her child’s name and her look of wonder and trust nearly broke him. He wanted to carry her to the TARDIS and make her whole again but knew he couldn’t so he forced himself to smile at her and comfort her.

“To honour your memory your sister makes sure Samantha gets the best education money can buy. At first your girl is lost and cries for you but your sister is there for her and she grows and flourishes. The years pass and Samantha becomes a defender of truth until one day, Sam, as she comes to be known, becomes the first female President of the United States and she does an amazing job.”

Sally Dunbar gasped and whispered in his mind, “How do you know? Are you an angel come to me in my final hour?”

“I am not an angel but I come from the future and I swear to you what I have said about your daughter’s future is true. It will be so!”

Sally Dunbar opened her eyes again, brimming with tears and said, “I think you must be an angel. You took away my pain and because of you my little girl will know how much I love her and please Doctor tell my sister I love her and thank her.” He nodded and squeezed her hand in reassurance. 

Sally closed her eyes and the Doctor thought she was drifting away but she rallied and opened her eyes again.

“Thank you Doctor for watching over me, for taking my pain away and for my daughter. I don’t want to leave her but I am not strong enough.”

With that Sally Dunbar gave up the ghost and the Doctor felt shaken and he felt responsible. He reached forward and gently closed her eyes. Turning to leave he was met with the accusatory eyes of Rose Tyler.

“Why didn’t you save her? Instead of mind talking why didn’t you save her?” She hurled her questions at him with tears streaming in her eyes, her hands clenched into fists. “You could have saved her!” she wept.

Sighing the Doctor knew she was overcome by the horrors here and that she just wanted to deny Daryl another death. Her fury was not so much directed at him as the situation. At least he hoped that was the case. He reached for her, willing to explain, but Rose turned away from him with a sob and left, kicking Daryl one more time for Sally Dunbar, before she pounded up the stairs away from him. He let her go but it hurt him she hadn’t been willing to listen to him even though he knew she had never been faced with the terrible choices he had to make. There was nothing to do now but wait for the police.

He wanted to leave this dank cellar reeking with fear and death but he paused looking down at Daryl. He crouched beside him. Reaching for his temples the Doctor searched his mind. He didn’t consider it a violation of his ethics because he was searching for mitigating factors, something, anything that explained his behaviour. When he found it, he scrambled on his hands and knees to the corner of the cellar and vomited. 

Daryl hadn’t been a psychopath he was psychotic. He had been born a happy, bright, blue-eyed little boy. The Doctor’s stomach roiled as the images of horrific torture and abuse played in his mind again. The happy little boy had been twisted into a monster by parents who were perverted deviants who used the boy in ways he couldn’t bear to see any longer. He realized nothing makes you remember more than trying to forget. The Doctor cried for the little blue eyed boy, crawling over to Daryl he reached over to the spot on Daryl’s shoulder that he’d pressed to cause him pain. He stopped the pain. As he sat beside Daryl, still dazed by what he’d seen in his mind, he took some small comfort in the fact the boy made monster had no children. Feeling beyond tired he heaved himself to his feet and trudged up the stairs feeling older than his years as he heard distant sirens approaching.

Staring out the picture window on the main floor, waiting for the police, the Doctor didn’t see the gorgeous scenery. He just saw Rose’s tearful eyes staring at him with accusation. He wished Rose was beside him but now, thanks to him, she probably didn’t want him anymore and she’d want to go home. He should have researched Daryl before he’d even booked the place. This was all his fault.

Hearing the police vans and squad cars turning into the driveway, the Doctor sighed and left the cabin to meet them.


	11. Chapter 11

Rose had left the Doctor abruptly and returned to the TARDIS to shower and get dressed. No matter how angry she had been with the Doctor she couldn’t leave him to deal with the police alone. She knew they would want to talk to her as well. Walking through the console room she saw the Doctor had removed his cameras and left them on the console bench. No doubt he knew the technology was too advanced to be discovered in this time period. When she descended the stairs to the main floor the Doctor was still outside talking to the police so she set about making tea.

The detectives and the Doctor entered the cabin and his eyes immediately found hers seeking forgiveness. She was not offering it but she’d settled down and he sensed she was just numb, going through the motions and eager to leave. There was a glimmer of hope that she would come around. 

For her part she wanted to get it over with so they could get out of here. It was out of the question that they could finish out the week here with a chamber of horrors under them. She had been shaken by the experience and how close she’d come to Daryl’s torture but she realized through it all she’d had total faith the Doctor would find her. The trauma of the event was not as acute as it had been and she knew she owed it to the Doctor to hear him out. He usually had reasons for what he did. 

Sensing her calmer state of mind the Doctor was eager to get the proceedings over so he could talk to Rose. The Detectives were arrayed around them as they sat together on the sofa telling their story and sipping their tea. The detectives preferred coffee so the Doctor made some for them all the while answering their questions. The Doctor did most of the talking and Rose couldn’t help but notice how quickly the police treated him as a person of authority. It was odd since an impartial investigation would consider the Doctor a suspect until the evidence eliminated him. It wasn’t just the Doctor’s natural authority though, it was the way people naturally trusted him, believed him. Rose found herself wondering why she had forgotten that in the heat of the moment. She watched as he pointed out the cameras in the cabin speculating that Daryl had film of the dead women somewhere. While the detectives photographed the cameras the forensic wagons arrived in the driveway and the Doctor led the crew to Daryl’s underground shrine.

Finally the authorities had photographed everything as well as bagged and tagged all the evidence they needed. Before they left poor Sally Dunbar was covered and removed. Daryl walked out under his own steam, furtively glancing at the Doctor. His face swollen and misshapen, the Doctor wondered if Daryl knew how close he’d come to death at his hands. Probably not or maybe he wished for it. 

Approaching Daryl, who flinched as he neared, the Doctor demanded, “You took my wife’s key. Give it back.” The Doctor spoke softly but his tone was lethal.

The Detectives who had been in the chamber of horrors were badly shaken and not feeling charitable towards their serial killer. The one escorting Daryl gave his shoulder a shove grunting out a demand to return the key to the Doctor. Grudgingly and never looking the Doctor in the eye, Daryl dug the key out of his pocket and respectfully returned it. 

The lead detective approached them.

“Doctor, Rose, first I want to thank you for the courage you displayed in following up on your hunches although I don’t even want to think how close you came to being victims yourselves. Thanks to you we have a serial killer in custody.”

“You have the proof you need then?” Rose asked.

“We’ll be processing the evidence for awhile back at the lab but we found the videos he produced long before you arrived here. We’ll be re-examining the death of his parents as well. Under the circumstances he’ll be given a psychiatric examination. The state of Oregon owes you a debt of gratitude so I hate to ask but could you stay until tomorrow? The team will have laid out the evidence and conclusions overnight and may have a few last questions. I know it’s a lot to ask under the circumstances and I am sure you just want to go home but if you wouldn’t mind.” 

Of course they politely agreed. What choice did they have? After the detective left Rose couldn’t wait to get back to the TARDIS. Everything about this place had turned to darkness. 

Uncharacteristically the Doctor was the one who didn’t want to wait to sort things out between them. 

“Rose, I think we need to talk, please. I’ll make the tea?”

Rose had been avoiding him but she knew that wasn’t working and wasn’t fair either. She nodded her assent even though she was exhausted.

As they faced each other with their tea the Doctor spoke first, “Rose, you’re my bond mate and clearly you now have doubts about me. Am I right about that?”

Rose sighed looking up at him with tears in her exhausted eyes. “I saw it in your mind, that you were going to let her die. How could you not help her? I’ve never known you not to try your best! Why Doctor?” She rubbed away her tears forcefully challenging him with her gaze.

“Do you think I wanted her to die?” the Doctor whispered. His gaze was forensic in its intensity and time seemed to still. Depending on her answer they may be forced by their bond to spend the rest of her life tied together against her will while he yearned for her knowing she didn’t love him anymore.

Rose closed her eyes considering his question. When she opened them she looked at him directly. She was matter-of-fact in her reply, “No, not really Doctor. I can’t believe you’d want her to die so there must be something I don’t understand about the situation. I just wanted to save her so Daryl did not take another in pain and fear. It felt like you wanted to save her too but you just didn’t.”

Grasping at the hope she’d given him the Doctor told her, “Sally Dunbar was a beautiful person. She suffered badly yet her first thought was for her daughter. She wanted me to tell her daughter how much she loved her.” 

Struggling with his emotions the Doctor squeezed his eyes shut trying to regain control. Rose was witness to his struggle and even though she wasn’t yet adept at reading his thoughts because his mind was so complex, she didn’t need mind reading to know the internal war he had waged over saving Sally Dunbar. Rose knew he was suffering and she reached for his hand. The Doctor looked up in surprise and gratitude taking her hand as though it were a lifeline tossed to him on roiling seas.

“Rose,” he whispered, ”Sally Hansen was a fixed point in time. She had to die.”

“But Doctor, you told me you couldn’t see the time lines of people who crossed yours?” Rose asked, her eyebrows scrunched in puzzlement.

With considerable relief the Doctor realized her inquiry wasn’t accusatory, rather it was curious. She wanted him to be on the right side of things. She was listening intently.

“I felt the same indignation you did Rose. I didn’t want Daryl to take another and you are right I shouldn’t have been able to see her time line because she became part of my time line. The TARDIS made me see Sally Dunbar’s future and that of her daughter. She knew I would risk saving her and the consequence of that decision would have been horrendous.”

“There was no way to save her?” Rose asked. “You’ve done it before, ya know made little tweaks ‘n stuff to make it work.”

“Rose, the horrible death of Sally Dunbar was a fixed point in time. I can’t change those without consequences. That beautiful soul had to die or her daughter would never become President of the United States.”

Rose gasped as the implications of what he’d said sunk in. “Oh Doctor, I’m sorry. I thought you couldn’t see her time line! I never thought it was like what I did with my Dad! I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance...a chance to explain.”

Seeing her eyes brimming with regret the Doctor knew such matters were not second nature to her and that, in the end, she had never really believed he wanted Sally to die. Her reaction had been coloured by stress and fear and an intense desire to save Sally Dunbar. He felt sad that being bonded with him meant she would experience the more traumatic aspects of his reality, the times when he could save people but must not for one. And there were others.

He squeezed her hand and continued his explanation. “It is Sally’s daughter who first welcomes alien visitors to Earth, who first paves the way for humanity’s migration to the stars. There were no alternatives where her daughter could have become President unless Sally died. Remember Rose my promise to the reapers?”

Rose nodded shaken by the impact of time that always swirled around them, often with terrible, terrible consequences. 

“Had I tweaked it, as you put it, the reapers would have taken my TARDIS and human history would have been forever changed.” 

The Doctor stopped his explanation and bowed his head unable to do or say any more to convince Rose he had made the right decision. He didn’t blame her for doubting him. She couldn’t read his motivations and considerations over their bond. She could pick up isolated thoughts if they were strong or emotional. She would get better at it over time he knew but his mind was too busy. She didn’t know how to separate the wheat from the chaff. But she was clever and she would learn with his help, assuming she stuck with him of course. 

Studying him with tears spilling over her cheeks, Rose was reminded this was her Doctor, making the tough choices and paying the price, setting aside his own devastation even while he tried to help others. She was ashamed she had doubted him. Sobbing she stood and ran around to him, straddling him and cradling his head in her hands. She kissed his cheeks.

“I failed you Doctor when you needed me most. I am so sorry, so sorry you had to make this decision alone.” 

He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling into her neck, seeking her scent and the soothing comfort it gave him. As they swayed together in each other’s arms Rose felt his relief and powerful love. She was grateful for his forgiveness.

“Rose, did he touch you? You were half naked when I found you,” the Doctor asked his eyes full of concern.

Running her hands through his hair she calmed his concern, “No Doctor. I believe he hung me like that so I would be terrified when the tranquilizer wore off. He wouldn’t have wasted his time doing anything when I was unconscious cuz he couldn’t feed on my terror and pain. Don’t worry ‘kay?”

Nodding his agreement he hugged her once more. Rose fell asleep on his shoulder. He felt like laughing at how she could sleep anywhere and at the drop of a hat. He knew as far as she was concerned they were whole again. They had won and she needed sleep. Chuckling to himself he stood with her in his arms and carried her to her bed where he gently laid her down, stripped off her clothes and tucked her in. Then he stripped down and slipped into her bed where she snuggled into his arms and he slept in bliss wrapped around her and her comforting scent.

Later, Rose remembered his perfect beauty when first she saw him naked. In her dreams she demanded her bond mate attend to her. Reaching for him in her sleep she found him aroused and ready, shivering on the precipice of release. Responding to her demand, he rolled her onto her side facing away from him and lifted her beautiful, toned leg to allow him access. His cock quivered at her entrance and she cried for him, begging him to fill her. He drove into her heat and they both gasped as he stilled trying to get control of his hair trigger sensitivity, trying to stop his hips from thrusting into her, trying to be still, to regain control. She clenched and squirmed pleading and crying for him. Oh the feel of her drove him mad. Desperately he reached over her hip until his talented fingers reached her wet folds teasing and swirling his finger masterfully around her swollen bundle of nerves. His thick length impaled her while his fingers swirled. He heard her breath hitch. He withdrew and then plunged into her clenching heat again as she came and he exploded, spasming inside her. It was perfect, exquisite release. He stayed deep inside her as she pushed his fingers away being too sensitive. Both floated in their bliss drifting back asleep. The Doctor remained behind her, deep inside, his arm curled around her shoulder with his fingers, wet from her sex, close to his nose keeping him blissfully delirious as he slept. In the absence of any overt expression of desire from her, he gradually softened and slipped from her body as they slept on.

In the morning Rose stretched luxuriously and smiled turning towards her Time Lord who was still asleep. She smiled taking in his handsome face. Slipping from the bed she headed to the shower. To her surprise he was still asleep when she finished dressing so she left to get him tea. When she returned she shook his shoulder lightly to wake him delighted to see his eyes open in amusement.

“Good morning Rose Tyler. This is a switch...you serving me tea in the morning. Ta,” he said accepting his mug of tea from her.

“Yeah I was starting to worry about you. I’ve never known you to sleep so long!”

“Ahh but I had your scent right under my nose,” he said wiggling the fingers of the hand that had brought her to climax.

Scrunching her brows in confusion he explained, “Time Lords imprint the scent of their mates on their brains. The scent comforts them, soothes them, and I have to say I can’t remember the last time I slept so well!”

“Yeah, well, chop, chop Doctor. Drink your tea cuz soon those Detectives are gonna be here and I want to get outta here right after.”

“Yeah, okay. I’m sorry Rose for how things worked out,” he said reaching for her hand. “I’d like to try again. We deserve a honeymoon.”

Rose took his hand and smiled. “Sounds good Doctor. I think we deserve it too! Come on you, up and at it yeah?”

Looking her in the eye, the Doctor swung his legs out of bed and stood, buck naked, giving Rose a good view of what she was missing as he turned and sauntered cheekily to the shower. Hearing her in his mind he turned with his eyebrow arched in question.   
“The Detectives can wait,” Rose drawled. “Get back here!”


	12. Chapter 12

Much later, in the aftermath of their lovemaking the Doctor had quietly shared what happened to Daryl when he was young. Of course he avoided telling her the gory details. Nevertheless the tragedy of it all was heavy around them and the Doctor wondered if he had done the right thing telling her. Perhaps it was the intimacy of the moment but Rose caught his thought.

“Doctor, I’m glad you told me. I mean the whole thing is terrible, like somehow evil breeds evil but what’s the point of us being together, being bonded, if we don’t share the good and the bad yeah? It’s how we can best help each other.”

Somehow the comfort of the moment helped them to put their experience in perspective. They both took valuable lessons from what had happened.

“Ya know Doctor, you’ve been alone so long you’re used to having to do everything alone and I have to remember that and not be so quick to jump to conclusions. I mean sometimes what you see is so much more than what it seems to me. I’m sorry Doctor that I doubted you. I wouldn’t blame you for taking me home and leaving me there!” Rose hugged him fiercely ashamed she had hurt him. 

“Never Rose. I couldn’t do that ever!” he whispered in her ear returning her embrace.

“And Doctor, if you think l’m wrong you should say so yeah? We are a couple and we are going to have disagreements and we’re going to have to work them out. That’s normal for any couple.”

The Doctor nodded but for now he was full of adoration for her and considered the whole matter behind them.

Luckily the detectives had delayed their arrival until early afternoon. They were just wrapping up when the phone in the cabin rang and one of the detectives answered, his eyes widening in surprise as everyone watched.

“Doctor,” the Detective said, “it’s the Governor’s office. They say they have the Queen of England on the phone asking to be patched through to you.”

Jumping up the Doctor exclaimed, “Ahhh Lillibet, wonder what she wants!”

Rose watched the gobsmacked expressions on the Detectives’ faces with amusement. As the Doctor spoke to the Queen the detectives turned to Rose. 

“How is it he speaks to the Queen of England with such familiarity. Isn’t that a no no in your country?”

“You’re right of course,” Rose replied, “but you see the Doctor’s authority is far greater than the Queen’s. They’re friends and the Queen allows him basically any liberty he chooses to take. Ya gotta understand how many times the Doctor has single handedly saved Great Britain from enemies that would have destroyed my country.” Rose smiled as the Detectives looked at the Doctor with new found awe.

The Doctor rang off and turned to his bond mate. “Rose, Lillibet wants to meet you. Apparently MI 6 has determined you are my companion but the sovereign didn’t know I married you so we’ve been ordered to drop by. You’re going to need a posh dress! Oh yes and remind me to mix up the elixir I give her for her swollen ankles.”

“But Doctor, are you telling me the Queen tracked you down in the Oregon forest to ask you to treat her ankles?” Rose asked in amusement.

Looking puzzled the Doctor answered her, “No Rose, of course not! That would be daft! Apparently the Oregon state house contacted Buckingham Palace excited about a persistent rumour that the Queen of England wanted to visit Oregon. During the phone call they pointed out that one of her citizens, named the Doctor, had been instrumental in bringing a serial killer to justice so she asked to be patched through.”

Rose rolled her eyes at him remembering the lie the Doctor had told Daryl about who he was and why he was here from England. Daryl must have told someone in town and no doubt from there the rumour had spread like wildfire.

Finally the detectives were ready to leave. The Doctor gave them the key to the cabin and his TARDIS phone number, although they didn’t know they would be calling a time and space ship. 

Now it was time to visit Sally Dunbar’s daughter Samantha. The police had informed her aunt of Sally’s death so Samantha knew too. They had explained to Rebecca the Doctor’s role in bringing her sister’s killer to justice and that he had promised Sally he would deliver her message to them both. Of course Rebecca agreed the Doctor could visit.

Children seemed to sense the Doctor was special and would never hurt them. When Rebecca brought Samantha into the living room the Doctor saw she was about six years old and her demeanour was lost and forlorn. She had been told her mother wasn’t coming home again and with those words all the safety, security and love her mother provided were gone. Everything she had known that made her feel happy and safe were gone. He immediately got down on his knees to talk to her, to be on her level.

With the candour of a child she told him, “A bad man killed my Mummy. I can’t see her anymore.”

“Samantha, my name is the Doctor. I stopped the bad man but it was too late to save your Mum and I am so sorry.” The Doctor took her small hand in his swallowing hard as she watched him with luminous eyes. “But before she died she made me promise to find you and your aunt and tell you how much she loved you both.”

Giant tears slid down Samantha’s cheeks. “I didn’t tell my Mummy I loved her too,” she sobbed, her bottom lip quivering.

The Doctor sat on the floor and pulled Samantha onto his lap and into his arms. “Sweetheart, your Mummy knew how much you loved her. I promise you she did. She gave me two gifts for you.” With his arms around her, he soothed her mind. The minds of children were telepathically easy to access. Rummaging around in his pocket he pulled out Sally Dunbar’s heart locket and placed it around Samantha’s neck, opening it to show her that her picture was on one side and her Mum’s picture was on the other.

“Your Mummy wanted you to have this Samantha because she wore it always to have your picture close to her heart because she loved you. She left something else for you too. You see love, as powerful as your Mum’s love for you, leaves a mark on you.”

Samantha was following the Doctor’s every word, her eyes wide with wonder.

“You can’t see the mark because it’s in here, in your heart,” he said tapping her little chest. “You have been loved so deeply by your Mum, her love will stay here in your heart and be a protection for you forever. I want you to remember that whenever you’re scared or think you can’t do something. Your Mummy will always be with you.”

Samantha reached up and gave him a child’s hug, Rose could hardly stem the tide of tears marching down her cheeks and Rebecca was so grateful for the comfort this couple had brought into their lives.

His final words were meant for Samantha and Samantha alone as he bent his head and whispered in her ear, “I will meet you again Samantha Dunbar, when you need me most. Don’t forget.”

Samantha nodded and whispered, “I won’t forget Doctor. I promise.”

As they headed back to the TARDIS Rose couldn’t help but reflect on how much the Doctor had helped Samantha and her Aunt. She knew that little girl would remember the Doctor for the rest of her life. 

Later, back in the TARDIS, Rose watched the Doctor studying read outs on the monitor. She had assumed he would first take them to the vortex but apparently not. She watched as he plugged in coordinates and the sound of the universe filled her ears. 

Once they had landed the Doctor came to her and took her hand saying, “Rose, I am sorry this trip wasn’t all we had hoped for and I really wanted to deliver on your wish list. But I have to say I am not sorry we bonded. In truth our bond is the best thing that ever happened to me and despite everything, this trip was worth it to me for that reason.” 

Rose slipped off the console bench and threw her arms around his shoulders whispering in his ear, “For me too Doctor, cuz I feel the same. So where have you brought me?” she asked curiously.

He smiled at her taking her hand heading them towards the doors. “I couldn’t deliver loons on the lake but I thought maybe wolves howling at the moon? Come on then!” 

The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and they stepped into a boreal forest along the timberline of a mountain. The moon was full, the air clear and clean and brisk. The Doctor whipped off his coat and helped Rose on with it. Her gaze distant, she was scanning the mountainside and he wondered what she was hoping to see. He watched her breath in and sensed her alertness. Her senses were tingling awaiting something. She stepped away from him, ten paces away, and what her behaviour signified he could not say. Then they heard it, a wolf howling at the moon and he watched her standing stock still listening.

“Come on Rose, you’ve heard a wolf howl at the moon just like you wanted so we can leave now.”

But Rose wasn’t listening to him. She was somewhere else and the Doctor couldn’t shake an eerie feeling something else was going on and to his worry, her thoughts were being shielded from him and he knew she shouldn’t be able to do that. She turned first to her right and then to her left making motions with her hands and if he was honest he was a little freaked out. What was going on? Slowly shadows emerged from the timber line creeping forward towards Rose.

“Rose,” he whispered urgently, “they’re wolves! Come on, we have to leave.” He stepped towards her but she shook her head and told him to hold.

Raising her hands she made waving motions and the wolves slinked closer in a semi circle around her. Just as he was going to grab her and take her inside to safety the wolves all sat watching her with their yellow eyes. It felt and looked like they were worshipping her and then he remembered she had named herself as the Bad Wolf! The wolves all raised their muzzles and howled and Rose bowed her head as though receiving and acknowledging their respect. 

As one the wolves rose, turned and bounded back to the forest and Rose turned towards him her eyes glowing gold completely unnerving him. Together they walked into the ship. Barely inside the doors he gently moved his fingers to her temples searching her physiology and what he found shocked him although it had to be said it didn’t worry the TARDIS in the least. He heard her chiming laughter at his discovery.

Tears tracked down the Doctor’s face as he realized the TARDIS had ensured he left just enough vortex inside his Rose to give her an extended life and that Rose had looked through time and space and used the vortex to create Bad Wolf to protect them both. He sank to his knees in gratitude to his ship and wrapped his arms around Rose.

Years later Sam Dunbar stood alone in the Oval Office. Earth was surrounded by aliens in orbit around the planet. The generals of the United States were urging defensive attack as were many other countries. The decision fell to the U.S and her President, the one country with the weaponry to do the job. She had heard the advice of her staff as well as the Congress and the Senate, all of whom wanted defensive attack. She wanted to talk to the aliens but no one knew their language. Suddenly she heard a strange sound in the Oval Office and she feared she’d made a horrible mistake not acting sooner, until the door of the blue box opened and the Doctor from her youth leaned out the door offering her his hand as he had so many years ago.

“Let’s talk to the aliens shall we Sam?”

Sam walked quickly towards him in wonder and trust.


End file.
